Cabin Fever
by CherryCorday
Summary: Alex decides to take an overworked Olivia to her family's cabin in Montauk for a week. The snow is falling, the fire is burning, and the wine is pouring... What's going to keep these ladies occupied for seven days in the woods?
1. Chapter 1

**OK, so I haven't written a fic in, like, 10 years or so. I'm posting this as a first chapter because the more I go over it and reread it, the more obsessed I become with the details and I can't help but change stuff and I'll never be satisfied. So I'm setting it free here so I can get moving on the subsequent chapters and not worry about this section anymore. Hope y'all like it.**

###

Alex Cabot was leaning next to Olivia Benson, who was sitting at her desk typing up a case report. The ADA's arms were crossed in a firm, authoritative fashion not unlike the pose she used in the courtroom to build suspense before she delivered a meticulously worded prosecutorial blow. "Olivia, come on. You've been working harder than anyone on this case. And now that it's been solved, you should take some time off. By my estimate you've worked 65 hours this week."

Olivia didn't look away from her computer screen. "Actually, it was closer to 75," she mumbled.

Alex pushed away from the desk and threw her hands up in exasperation. "All the more reason to get some much needed rest! You're no good to anyone if you're a zombie. You work harder than anyone else on this squad and no one's going to blame you if you take a little time away." She reassumed her position leaning next to the seated detective, who didn't move. Alex added softly, "Please, Olivia?"

Olivia turned slowly away from her monitor to finally look at Alex. "Why is this so important to you?"

Alex knew Olivia was close to acquiescing because she didn't just give a flat out no as an answer. "Because I worry about you sometimes. I talked to Cragen and he worries too. He said you have weeks of vacation on the books that you never use. You cover for everyone when they have plans and you never ask for any time off." She paused and looked down at her feet. "So we've decided you have the next week off."

"What?" Olivia looked surprised.

"Please don't be mad." Alex reached out and put a hand on Olivia's shoulder. "It doesn't take a genius to see that you're tense all the time and those dark circles under your eyes give away the fact that you haven't been sleeping." She gave a hopeful smile. "So what do you say? A week off?"

Olivia took a second to ponder. Alex was right. She was tense and sleep deprived, and she couldn't remember the last real time off she had. "OK," she said with a sigh.

Alex grinned. "Excellent. So what would you say to coming along with me to my family's cabin in Montauk for your vacation?"

Olivia pulled away from Alex's hand. "Was this the plan all along? Make me take time off and hold me hostage at some cabin in the woods?" Olivia snapped.

Deep down, Alex knew Olivia was tired and didn't like being forced into anything, so she took it in stride, but it still stung a little bit. "You don't have to come with me. I just figured since you need a rest that a quiet cabin in the woods away from all the chaos of the city would be rejuvenating. It's beautiful out there this time of year and I would love to have someone to share it with. But you're really not obligated to go," Alex said as she looked away from Olivia, slightly deflated.

Olivia stood up and took Alex's hands in hers. "Hey, I'm sorry. You're right. I'm physically and mentally exhausted and I could really use a change of scenery. And I can't think of anyone I'd rather spend a week in the woods with." Alex looked back to Olivia and smiled. "So, when do we leave?" she added with her signature lopsided grin.

Carefully pulling her hands from Olivia's, Alex turned and grabbed her coat and bag from the chair next to the desk. "Tomorrow after work. I'll be at your place at 6pm. That should give you time to pack and make arrangements."

"Sounds great." Olivia watched as Alex walked toward the elevators. "Hey, Alex?" she called.

Alex stopped and turned. "Yeah?"

"Thanks," Olivia said shyly with a slight nod of her head.

Alex grinned. "My pleasure." And she walked out of the room.

###

The next day could not go fast enough as far as Olivia was concerned. She'd gone home the previous night and packed her bags. She grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat on the couch trying to figure out why she was so giddy. Was it because she was finally taking a real vacation or was it more because of who she would be vacationing with? She knew she would enjoy the scenery and the quiet calm would soothe her seemingly always racing mind, but somehow when she thought of being alone with Alex her heart would skip a beat and the butterflies in her stomach would come to life. Alex was a close friend, so why was her body acting like she was a lovesick teenager? She couldn't deny Alex was a beautiful woman and certainly a catch. Maybe she did have a slight girl crush on the lovely lawyer. It wasn't as if Alex didn't make _everyone's_ head turn when she walked into a room, so Olivia decided that she would just consider her reaction nothing more than appreciating a pleasing human form.

When it was finally time to go home Olivia practically ran out the door. She'd said a quick goodbye to Elliott, Munch, and Fin as she grabbed her things from her locker and pushed her way through the rest of the people trying to leave for the weekend. She had an hour to get home, take a shower, double check what she'd packed the night before, and wait for Alex to get there. For once she was really looking forward to relaxing and just doing whatever she felt like. Usually when she had time off she was restless and needed to keep tabs on what was going on at work, but she was confident that work wouldn't be in the forefront of her mind for seven whole days.

She unlocked the door to her apartment but didn't open it right away. Leaning against the doorframe for a moment to try and calm her rapid heartbeat, Olivia took a few deep breaths and when her hands had steadied, she pushed open the door and set out to get ready for Alex's impending arrival.

After a quick shower, Olivia dressed in a red long sleeved thermal undershirt and faded straight legged jeans. She pulled on her wool socks and laced up her hiking boots. Going to her closet she grabbed a grey and red plaid flannel shirt and put it on. Then she pulled her knee length down parka off its hanger and carried it out to put it with her bags. She checked her watch and sat down on the sofa. In ten minutes Alex would be arriving and whisking her away to a secluded location in the woods…where they would be alone…together. The thought of being alone with Alex sent a lightning bolt through Olivia's nervous system and a sly smile crept on to her face but quickly went away. _Jesus, Olivia, she's taking you there as a friend. I highly doubt she's gonna put the moves on you. She's straight!_ Olivia chastised herself. She picked up a magazine from the table and tried to focus on the glossy pictures, but it failed to hold her interest so she threw it back on the table. She checked her watch again. T-minus seven minutes…

###

Alex pulled her black Mercedes C300 in front of Olivia's building. She didn't get out of her car right away, opting to give herself a few minutes to organise her thoughts before making her way to Olivia's door. She didn't know what to expect from this week in the cabin, but she would consider it a success if her companion looked even remotely relaxed by the time they had to leave. But thinking of herself and Olivia at the cabin made Alex question her motives for even asking the other woman to come along. She could say that she was being altruistic, but altruism was only part of it. She had always been drawn to the detective. She wanted to know what made Olivia Benson tick; wanted to see what the fiery police officer hid behind the walls she put up so she could do her job every day. This weekend would not only be about getting Olivia to take some much needed vacation; it would also be where Alex shared what was behind her walls with Olivia. The cabin had always been Alex's secret getaway and she'd never invited anyone up with her. It was the one place she could let the world pass her by, sort out her feelings and thoughts, let her guard down. There would be no phone calls in the middle of the night asking for warrants, no court dates, no interviewing suspects, no staying up all night prepping for a trial. It was her sanctuary, but she was willing to bring Olivia into her private world. Checking her face in the rearview mirror, she got out of the car and walked up the stairs.

###

Olivia was pacing when she heard the buzzer. She pressed the button and told Alex to come up. A minute later there was a knock at the door. Checking through the peep hole, she saw Alex with her hands in her jacket pockets and looking at the ground. When she opened the door, Olivia looked Alex up and down. The ADA was wearing a purple puffy down jacket, dark rinse skinny jeans tucked into tall chestnut coloured sheepskin boots, and a purple knit wool hat was on her head. Her blonde hair was loosely braided into two pigtails that hung just below her shoulders. When Alex finally looked at Olivia, the brunette had her lopsided grin in place.

Alex looked puzzled. "What?"

"Do you always look like you just stepped out of an LL Bean catalog when you're going up to the cabin?"

"This is practical winter wear for the region, detective," Alex said playfully. "So, are we ready to go?"

Olivia turned and picked up her duffel bag from where she had placed it beside the door and handed it to Alex. Pulling her parka on, she said, "Let's do this!" She reached back in to grab her back pack, slung it over her shoulder, and locked her door. She watched as Alex made her way down the hallway toward the elevator, still with the lopsided grin on her face.

Alex opened the trunk and put Olivia's bags next to her own while the other woman got in and settled herself in the passenger seat. When Alex got back in the car, she buckled her seat belt, put the car in drive, and pulled out onto the street. The light at the corner had just turned red and when Alex brought the car to a complete stop, she reached down into the centre console, picked up her iPod, and handed it to Olivia. "Passenger picks the music."

Scrolling through the list of artists, Olivia was impressed with the diverse selection she found. There was everything from The Ramones to Michael Jackson to Usher and everything in between. "I'd never guess you'd have such eclectic tastes in music."

"Well, I try to defy expectations as often as possible. If I like something, I like it. Simple as that."

Olivia smirked as she made a playlist with what she hoped would be good driving music. "Good to know. I had you pegged as an NPR junkie or only listening to classical."

Alex smiled. "Talk radio whips me into a frenzy. It doesn't even matter what they're talking about, it makes me crazy. And I listen to people talk all day long at work, so when I leave I just want a good melody to soothe my mind. And I like classical music, but no more so than any other genre. The music I like has to have at least one of the following: a strong melody, a steady beat, or just tell a good story."

"Well, I think it's cool that you don't limit yourself." Olivia put the iPod on the dash and looked out the window for a moment before turning back to Alex. "So what about dinner? Are we going to pick something up on the way, or are we going to make something when we get there? Should we swing by the store and pick up supplies, or-"

Alex glanced over at Olivia and then looked back to the road. "My cousin Josie's the caretaker at the cabin. She and her fiancé own the coffee shop in town. I called ahead and made arrangements for her to stock up the firewood and put some food in the fridge for tonight. I figured since we're going to be arriving fairly late that we could have something simple tonight and tomorrow morning go into town to get what we need for the rest of the week. And Josie's expecting us for breakfast tomorrow morning at the cafe. She bakes all the pastries in house and she promised to whip up a batch of her famous cupcakes just for us."

Olivia nodded. Of course Alex had every last detail planned out. "Sounds like you've got things under control."

"I try, detective," Alex said with a coy smile.

Friday traffic was pretty thick on the way out of the city, but soon they were on the interstate and making pretty good time. Olivia was looking out the window and noticing how beautiful the night sky looked when you were away from the lights of the city. She never realized that there were so many stars just shining in the sky that couldn't be seen over the constant glow that was Manhattan. Alex's voice broke her out of her reverie.

"Whatcha thinking?"

Giving her head a quick shake to bring herself back to reality, she answered, "I was just looking at the stars. I don't think I've ever seen so many at once. I forget how expansive the sky is outside the city. I didn't realize how much the electric light blots out the natural light."

Alex smiled. "Just wait until we get to the cabin. There are more stars than sky."

"Sounds nice." And they fell back into a conversational silence and listened to the music.

As they got closer to Montauk, some clouds had moved in and a light snow had begun to fall. "Are we going to have trouble making it up to the cabin if this keeps up?" Olivia asked, suddenly worried about getting stranded on the road.

Alex chuckled. "It usually snows here this time of year, but never more than a few inches at a time. Besides, this car has four wheel drive and we're almost there."

Olivia looked surprised. "I didn't know Mercedes made a four wheel drive sedan. Those Germans think of everything." Satisfied that their drive was almost over, she went back to looking out the window and watching the snow softly fall.

###

About twenty minutes later Alex was pulling off the road and making her way up a narrow gravel driveway. Nestled in a clearing was a small log cabin with an inviting wraparound porch. _Alex wasn't exaggerating when she said it was beautiful in the winter. It looks like a painting with the light dusting of snow on the roof and light shining from the large picture window. All it needs is a plume of smoke coming from the chimney and it could be a picture on a postcard_, Olivia thought.

Alex was just watching Olivia staring at the cabin and enjoying the look on her face. She placed a hand on Olivia's knee and said playfully, "Do you want to go in and get settled, or do you just want to sit here and stare at it for a while longer?"

Olivia looked at Alex and smiled sheepishly. "Let's go in. I'm starving and it's getting chilly in here!"

They retrieved their luggage from the trunk and Alex led the way up the flagstone path to the porch. Quickly unlocking the door and pushing it open, Alex put her bags down and took off her jacket and hung it on the rack next to the door. She then moved to the fireplace to pick up the note that was addressed to her on the mantle. Olivia closed the door behind her and stood there taking in the décor.

The place was essentially one large, open floor plan, like a huge studio apartment. To the left was a double bed in the corner with a fluffy down comforter spread out on it. In the opposite corner sat bunk beds with their own down comforters. Between the beds was a partially open door that revealed a small bathroom. From the sliver of light that made it in the door Olivia could see a claw foot tub. There was a door next to it, which Olivia assumed to be a closet. Directly in front of the door along the back wall was a kitchenette with a cosy looking breakfast nook with a door that led out to the back porch.

The real focal point of the room was the huge stone hearth that took up the majority of the wall directly across from the sleeping area. There was an overstuffed sofa in front of the fireplace, a loveseat to its right, and a rocking chair to the left. In the centre of the furniture was a large black bear skin rug and there were several sets of antlers mounted above the mantle. The walls were covered in a dark wood paneling that was varnished to a high shine.

It smelled like firewood with a vague hint of nutmeg and was lit by a single lamp on an end table next to the sofa. It provided enough light to illuminate the entire room with a comfortable amount of light but was soft enough to give a cozy atmosphere. There were two skylights that during the day would offer pure sunlight and at night, if the conditions were right, would let in an impressive amount of moonlight.

"Olivia?" Alex noticed the faraway look in Olivia's eyes as she scanned the room.

"Yes, Alex?" she said, finally looking at the other woman in the room.

"Josie said she put some French bread in the cupboard and several cheeses and a bottle of chardonnay in the fridge. And there are some grapes and apples in the bowl. We can get that out and have a snack before we unpack and get ready for bed." Picking her bag up and tossing it behind the couch, Alex turned around and started to build a fire in the fireplace.

Olivia bent down and picked up her bag. "Sounds like a plan. I'll take the bunk bed."

"Are you sure? If you want the big bed you can have it."

Olivia shook her head. "I'm sure. It's OK. You take the big bed. I spend a lot of nights in the crib anyway so the bunk bed isn't far off from what's in there. It's fine. Really."

Alex turned back to her task. "If you're sure."

Tossing her bag on the bottom bunk, "I'm sure." Olivia grabbed her pyjamas and toiletry bag from her duffel and went into the bathroom to change.

Alex pulled the grate in front of the fireplace and went to the refrigerator to get the wine and cheese out. She prepared a platter of cheese cubes, slices of French bread, apple slices, and grapes. Josie had picked out four different kinds of cheese to go with her home baked baguette: smoked gouda, manchego, fontina, and dill havarti. She smiled as she pictured Josie fussing over getting everything ready. Picking up a cube of fontina and popping it in her mouth, Alex carried the tray to the nook and went back to the cupboard to get two wine glasses and the corkscrew. She turned around to find Olivia standing next to the table smiling.

"Everything OK so far?" Alex asked as she moved back to the table. She was trying not to think about how adorable (and cuddly!) Olivia looked dressed in flannel pyjama pants and her NYPD hoodie.

"I love it. I don't know why I got angry when you asked me to take time off and come up here with you. This place is amazing."

Pulling a chair out from under the table and sitting down, Alex said, "There's a reason I take a week off to come up here every winter. It's the one place I don't have to be accountable to anyone but myself. I get to be Alex and leave ADA Alexandra Cabot in Manhattan. It's just me and my thoughts."

Olivia grabbed the corkscrew and proceeded to open the bottle of wine. "Well, thanks for sharing this week with me." Pouring Alex and herself a glass of Chardonnay she held up her glass. "I propose a toast." Alex lifted her glass in the same manner. "To us. May we enjoy this place in all its wintry glory and have a truly relaxing experience this week." They clinked glasses and sipped their wine. "I'm surprised you don't have a waiting list of people wanting to be here with you."

Alex put her glass down and reached over to grab an apple slice. "You're the first person I've ever brought here," she said shyly, taking a loud bite of apple.

Olivia was reaching for a cube of manchego and stopped suddenly when she heard Alex speak. She looked at the blonde woman across from her, but Alex was staring at the platter. "What? Really?"

Alex looked up and made eye contact with Olivia. The detective's brown eyes were narrowed and there was a puzzled look on her face. "Yeah. This place is my sanctuary. It always seemed like it was too personal to share with someone else."

Olivia cocked her head to the side as she took in what Alex was saying. "If you're having second thoughts about bringing me here, Alex, that's OK. I don't want to intrude on your time by yourself."

Alex shook her head. "No! I'm sorry. I'm not explaining this very well. In the city even when you're alone you're surrounded by people. Some you know, some you don't. But there're always people everywhere. Here I get to choose who's around and I guess I didn't know anyone who was special enough to come with me until I met you."

Olivia felt a blush colour her cheeks. "Wow. I'm touched. For what it's worth, I wouldn't have accepted if it wasn't you that had asked. I'd have come up with excuses for why I needed to stay in the city and it would have defeated the purpose of taking time off. So thanks for thinking enough of me to bring into your private world. It means a lot to me." She reached across the table and took Alex's finely boned hand in her own and gave it a squeeze.

It was Alex's turn to blush. Olivia let her hand go and picked up her wine glass. She drained the contents and stood up. "I'm, uh, pretty tired so I think I'm going to brush my teeth and get ready for bed. Can I help you clean up before I go?"

Alex gathered the platter and grabbed the bottle of wine. "I can take care of it, but thank you." She recorked the wine and covered the cheese with plastic wrap. "Are you sure you're OK with the bunk bed? The big bed is really comfortable."

"I'm sure, Alex."

Putting the last of the fruit and cheese in the fridge, Alex turned and nodded. "There are extra blankets and comforters in the closet if you need them."

"Thanks, Alex." Olivia went into the bathroom and dug out her toothbrush and toothpaste. She left the door open a crack and proceeded to wash her face and brush her teeth.

Alex walked over to the fireplace and poked around the coals a bit. She would build a small fire in the morning so they wouldn't freeze when they got ready to go out for the day, but tonight she would let the fire die. She turned around and switched the lamp off, letting the embers of the fire cast a pale orange glow in the room. As she made her way over to her bag, Olivia came out of the bathroom.

"Your turn."

Alex grabbed her toiletry bag and pyjamas and made her way to the bathroom. Olivia put her bags under the bed and pulled back the covers. As she slipped between the sheets, she imagined what it would be like to share the big bed with Alex. She envisioned them spooning, with Olivia taking the role of "big spoon", of course. Her arm would be draped across Alex's middle, and their fingers would be entwined tightly. Olivia would gently kiss Alex's neck before putting her head back on the pillow and whispering softly, 'Goodnight, love'. Alex would murmur softly in response. And both women would fall asleep feeling the sweet contentment of being in the arms of the person they loved most in the world. As Olivia's fantasy faded, she smiled to herself in the dark. _You're such a sap, Benson_, she thought to herself as she fell asleep.

Alex finished up and switched the light off as she stepped out of the bathroom. She looked over to check on Olivia. She had pulled the comforter up tight around her shoulders and was sound asleep. Alex tiptoed over to the bunk bed and crouched down next to her sleeping friend. Olivia looked so peaceful. She carefully reached out her hand to brush Olivia's hair from her eyes and whispered, "Goodnight, Liv." She stood back up and made her way to the bed in the opposite corner. As she settled in for the night, she imagined what it would be like to have Olivia next to her as she slept. Pulling the other pillow from the head of the bed and hugging it tightly, she pretended that it was the detective she was holding. With a soft sigh, she fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Alex woke up slowly and stretched out in the bed. She was stiff from the cold and from sleeping curled tightly around the "Olivia" pillow. Rolling on to her left side, she looked across the room to see if Olivia was OK in the bunk bed. What she saw brought a grin to her face. The detective had pushed the pillow off the bed and was lying on her stomach; her head was facing in Alex's direction with her fist tucked under her chin. Alex committed the sight of the slumbering detective to memory and threw back the covers to begin getting ready for the day. She dug through her bag to find a pair of khaki pants, a black t-shirt, and a red wool cardigan with a giant moose on the back. After getting her clothes laid out and starting a fire, she put on a pot of coffee.

Olivia woke up but didn't immediately open her eyes. She smelled coffee and heard the crackling of a fire. It took her a few seconds to remember where she was. Alex had brought her to the Cabot family cabin in Montauk. She smiled and rolled out of bed, put the pillow back, and headed off in search of the coffee pot.

Alex was stretched on the sofa with a mug of coffee in one hand and her book in the other when she heard the rustle of blankets followed by the sound of the bed springs flexing. "Morning, Liv. How'd you sleep?" she said without looking away from the page she was reading.

"I think I can safely say that I've never had a better night's sleep," Olivia said, running her fingers through her hair and making her way to the coffee pot on the counter.

Putting the bookmark in between the pages and tossing the book on the table, Alex looked over to the kitchenette and watched Olivia pour herself a cup of coffee and walk over to stand with her back to the fire.

"So we're going to have breakfast at your cousin's place and then we're going grocery shopping and then what?" Olivia asked before she sipped her coffee.

"Well, I figured we could walk around town a bit and I could give you a tour."

Olivia stepped to the rocking chair and sat down. "I'd like that." She took another sip. "What time are supposed to be at Josie's?"

Alex stood up. "Whenever. She knows I don't keep a strict schedule when I'm up here. I'm gonna go get dressed." Taking her empty mug to the kitchen sink, she turned and grabbed the clothes off the bed and went to the bathroom to get ready.

Getting up and making her way to the sink, Olivia drank the last of her coffee and put her mug next to Alex's. She went to the bunk bed and bent down to get her bag. _Alex is probably gonna take a while in there, so I should just change out here to save time_, Olivia thought. _I just have to be quick about it._ She grabbed a handful of clothes and tossed them on the bed. Changing into her jeans was easy enough. Then she shed her t-shirt and hoodie in one quick motion. What she hadn't realized while she was pulling the shirt over her head was that it covered her ears for just long enough to hide the sound of the bathroom door opening.

Alex only took two steps out of the bathroom and froze when she saw that Olivia was standing topless facing the bunk bed. Her mouth hung open, but she made no sound. She didn't even breathe. Olivia reached down and grabbed her bra off the bed. After putting her arms through the straps, she reached back to fasten the closure, but couldn't get the hooks to line up with the corresponding eyes.

"Dammit!" Olivia cursed as she kept trying to get her bra on.

Seconds, maybe minutes (but probably not hours, even though that's what it felt like), passed. Alex, who was getting a little dizzy from not breathing, stepped toward Olivia. "Let me help."

Now it was Olivia who froze. With her eyes wide she let go of the hook and eye, while her right arm moved at the speed of light to clutch the bra to her chest. She felt her entire body blush a deep shade of crimson and turned around slowly.

Panic hit Alex like a freight train as she spun quickly to turn away from the half naked woman in front of her. "I'm sorry, Olivia! I just—I… Um… I didn't—" she stammered. Olivia didn't look angry in the second and a half Alex had seen her face; more like a deer in the proverbial headlights.

Olivia's full body blush was fading as she awkwardly ran her left hand through her hair. "How long were you standing there?" she asked.

"Just a few seconds. I saw you were having trouble and the words were out of my mouth before I knew what was happening. I'm sorry. I really didn't see anything."

Olivia smiled shyly. _This was the risk you took, genius! Why are you so surprised?_ she thought. Knowing Alex was freaked out, she wanted to let her know everything was OK. "Does the offer of help still stand? As you saw I'm not quite coordinated enough right now to get this by myself." She chuckled nervously and turned so her back was once again facing Alex.

Blinking away the anxiety attack that was forming, Alex came up behind Olivia and fastened her bra. "All done," she squeaked as she quickly turned and went back into the bathroom to grab her pyjamas from the counter. She stopped in front of the mirror and took a few deep breaths. _Let it go, Alex. You didn't see anything and she's not mad at you. You caught her off guard...that's all. Play it cool,_ she told herself. When she came out of the bathroom this time, Olivia had put a navy blue henley shirt on and was lacing up her boots. She was folding her pyjamas when she heard Olivia's voice behind her.

"Nice rack," Olivia teased.

Alex whirled around with alarm. _Did she see me changing? She couldn't have! I closed the door. But what about the keyhole? What am I saying? She wouldn't do that! What is she talking about?_ her thoughts raced. A high pitched "Hmmmm?" was the only sound she could make.

It was almost as if Olivia could see the questions Alex was asking herself through the blonde's facial expressions. "I was talking to the moose." Alex raised an eyebrow in confusion. "On the back of your sweater," Olivia added, seeing relief flood the other woman's face.

Alex let out a nervous chuckle and smoothed the front of her cardigan. "Oh, right! I found it in a thrift store years ago. It's really warm and looks outdoors-y."

"What did you think I was talking about?" Olivia said casually. She couldn't resist the opportunity to wind up the usually unflappable attorney.

Alex's eyes went wide. "Um…" Her eyes searched the room frantically. "The elk antlers above the mantle?" she said lamely.

"Seriously?" Olivia replied skeptically, trying not to laugh at Alex's obvious discomfort.

"The coat rack next to the door?" Alex tried again.

"I'm teasing you, Alex. You're too easy." Olivia smiled. "You should loosen up."

Alex glared at Olivia for a second before laughing. "You're a jerk. Has anyone ever told you that?"

Olivia grinned. "A time or two."

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Alex pulled her sheepskin boots on. "Ready to go?"

"Let's roll!" Olivia said as she walked to the coat rack and slipped her parka on. "Hey, Alex?"

Alex walked over to grab her jacket from the rack. "Yes, Liv?"

"Maybe when we get back from town you could show me the bra you're wearing and then we'd be even," Olivia said, winking mischievously.

"Only if you behave while we're out today." Alex winked back and punched Olivia lightly on the arm.

"Ow! Assault on a police officer!" Olivia whined teasingly as she clutched the spot where Alex's fist had landed.

Alex laughed. "Since there aren't any witnesses it's just a case of 'she said, she said'. This case is never going to see the inside of a courtroom."

Olivia smirked. "Yeah, well, if I bruise, that's evidence."

"You're not a peach, Olivia," Alex giggled.

Olivia cocked her head and pretended to think for a moment. "You're right. I'm more of a cactus: prickly on the outside to protect the squishy, fragile, juicy stuff on the inside," she said with a firm nod of her head.

Alex rolled her eyes and grinned.

Olivia zipped up her parka and opened the front door. She took a deep breath and exclaimed, "I love this fresh air!" as she walked toward the car.

Taking her keys from the pocket, Alex smiled as she remembered their conversation in the squad room when she brought up coming out to the cabin. _I guess she doesn't feel like she's being held hostage_, she thought as she made her way to the car.


	3. Chapter 3

The car ride was quiet. Alex concentrated on driving since the temperature was hovering around freezing and she was trying to avoid an accident ('Just keep the bitches between the ditches,' Olivia had said). Olivia was content to look out the window. It wasn't long before they were pulling up in front of a charming storefront with huge windows and the name Cabot's painted over the heavy wooden front door.

"We're here!" Alex chirped as she parked the car along the curb. "I can't wait for you to meet Josie. She's gonna love you."

"What makes you so sure?" Olivia said as she reached down to unbuckle her seat belt.

Alex undid her own seat belt and turned to look at Olivia. "Well, she's gonna know you're special because you're the first person I've ever brought up here with me. And you're a big city detective, which is pretty exotic around these parts. I mean, this is technically The Hamptons."

"Why isn't she a lawyer or something like that? I thought you come from a long line of attorneys and judges."

Alex opened the car door. "She likes to defy expectations even more than I do," she said as she walked up to the door.

Olivia was confused. _What does that even mean?_ She got out of the car and went to the door, which Alex opened for her. Nodding her thanks to Alex, she stepped inside and was immediately hit with the smell of baking bread, spices, and something sweet. She guessed it was most likely cinnamon rolls. Alex closed the door and stepped up to stand beside Olivia as she took the place in.

The rectangular space was open and airy but still intimate with long brick walls on either side. The high ceiling was covered in pressed tin, which reflected the light pouring in from the front windows. A fireplace was recessed in the far right corner of the room and had several arm chairs arranged in front of it. A young couple occupied one of the tables that lined the right wall. Their heads were close together as they engaged in an intimate conversation over a huge cinnamon roll and two steaming mugs. An older man sat reading the paper at a bar stool at the counter that took up the majority of the left wall. In front of him was a blueberry muffin the size of a softball and a demitasse on a saucer. Directly to the left of the door was a glass pastry case filled with cookies, muffins, loaves of several different kinds of bread, cupcakes, and pies. A shiny espresso machine sat next to the cash register on the back bar behind the counter.

Alex reached out and touched Olivia's arm. The blonde noticed that whenever Olivia went someplace new that she took note of every detail of the room, which Alex figured was probably a habit of any police officer and not just her favourite detective. She smiled to herself because if an altercation were to occur she'd want to be with someone who had already posited scenarios on how best to deal with things in the place they were in.

Olivia looked at the pastry case and sighed dreamily. "I can't wait to sample everything."

Just then the door that led to the backroom swung open and a dark haired woman who looked a lot like Alex came out wiping her hands on a dish towel, not even looking up. "Hi, there! Sorry I took so long getting out here; I-" Looking up she saw who was standing on the other side of the counter. "ALEX!" she shrieked as she threw the towel in the air and ran around the counter to engulf Alex in a bear hug. "You're here!"

"Hey, Josie!" Alex croaked.

Watching Alex nearly getting the life squeezed out of her made Olivia laugh. She stopped laughing when Josie let Alex go and hugged her with the same fervour. "And you must be that foxy New York detective Alex has told me so much about! It's Olivia, right?"

Olivia nodded vigorously. "Right," she choked out. Alex chuckled and gave Olivia an apologetic look.

Josie let go of Olivia and reached out to take Alex's hand. Pulling her to the bar stools as Olivia followed, she indicated for them to sit. They took their jackets off and hopped onto side by side stools. She grabbed two menus from under the counter and placed them in front of Alex and Olivia. "Can I get you ladies something to drink?"

Alex nodded. "I'd like a latte." She looked to Olivia. "How 'bout you?"

"An americano for me, please. If I'm going to eat my weight in baked goods I need to drink something light."

Josie beamed at her guests and went to make the drinks. "Comin' right up!" she called over her shoulder.

As soon as Josie has fired up the steam wand, Olivia turned to Alex, who was looking at her menu. "So I'm a _foxy_ New York detective?" she asked sotto voce.

Nervously chuckling as her cheeks reddened, Alex didn't look up from her menu. "I _may_ have mentioned once that you were easy on the eyes."

Olivia smirked as she picked up her menu and gave it a cursory look. "So, Josie," she said a little louder, "what do you recommend for breakfast?"

"Well, Alex always has the French toast," she said as she brought the drinks to Alex and Olivia.

"I think I'll have that, too," Olivia said as she slid the menu across the counter.

Josie put both menus back under the counter. "Excellent choice! I'll be back in a bit." And with that she went into the backroom.

"I like this place. And I like your cousin. She's very...boisterous," Olivia said as she contemplated the pattern on the tin ceiling.

Alex grinned, her colour having returned to normal. "I'm glad. She's not reserved like your average Cabot. She is who she is and she doesn't apologise for it," she said as she took a sip of her latte.

"And where do you fit in on the Cabot Reservedness scale?" Olivia asked, looking back to Alex.

Shrugging, Alex offered, "I'd say if our bourgeois grandmother was a ten, and Josie was a one, I'd be around a four. I have to be serious for work, but I've been known to get a little boisterous, as you called it."

Olivia burst into laughter. "Oh, Alex, I could use a lot of words to describe you, but 'boisterous' isn't one of them!"

"There's so much you don't know about me, Liv," Alex said with a wicked grin. Her tone of voice caused Olivia to nearly choke on the sip of americano she'd just taken.

_Looks like 'saucy' just made the list of words to describe Alex_, Olivia thought as she recovered. _Seems Alex can give as good as she can get_. "So, uh, how long has Josie owned this place?" she tried to change the subject.

Alex sipped her latte. "About ten years. We used to come out to the cabin as kids and she loved it so much she moved here. When her father died she used her inheritance to buy the business from the previous owners. She fell in love with a local and they run the business year round since neither of them are good at sitting still for very long. Montauk gets overrun with tourists in the summer, but the winter's slow and most businesses take the season off. Josie and Cam would go crazy if they didn't work for three months."

Olivia smiled. "I can sympathise." She took another sip of her americano. "So where is this fiance of hers?"

"Cam's out of town visiting family."

"That's too bad. I was looking forward to meeting him, too."

Alex picked up her mug. "Her." She took a long drink of her latte.

Olivia cocked her head to the side. "Her?" _That certainly defies my expectations!_ she thought.

"Cam's short for Camilla."

Before Olivia could ask more about Cam, the door to the backroom swung open and Josie breezed through it with a plate in each hand. "French toast a la Cabot!" she announced as she placed the plates on the counter.

Taking her napkin and placing it on her lap, Alex said, "This looks amazing, Josie!" She picked up the syrup decanter and poured a light drizzle over her toast.

Josie winked at Alex. "I try to do right by my favourite cousin and her guest!"

Olivia was staring at the plate in front of her. The aroma coming off of it was making her mouth water. Alex offered her the syrup, which she took and poured over her own plate. She cut a corner off one of the slices and put it in her mouth. "MMMMMmmmmmmmm..." she moaned blissfully as she chewed and swallowed. "Is that cardamom?"

Josie's face lit up. "You know your spices!" Alex looked to Olivia with approval all over her face. "Fresh ground cardamom makes everything better."

"I'm a bit of a spice geek," Olivia said shyly.

Josie laughed. "Half of baking is knowing how to switch things up by adding different spices. Traditional recipes are all well and good, but I like to think outside the box."

Olivia grinned. "Well, it definitely works for you," she said before taking another bite.

Alex felt a huge surge of pride. Her cousin loved Olivia, and Olivia was having a good time. "When's Cam coming back?" she asked as she cut up another slice of toast.

"She'll be back Monday. And I can't wait because it's just me here and I have to do twice as much. She's in Boston visiting her brother and scoping out venues for the wedding."

"Shouldn't you be looking at that kind of stuff together? I mean, you're just as much a party to this as she is."

Josie shrugged. "She's more interested in the whole frilly wedding thing than I am. I'd be happy to marry her in front of an outhouse and honeymoon in a tool shed."

Olivia giggled at the imagery. "If that's not love, I don't know what is," she said as she shovelled the last bite in her mouth.

"I know, right? You get it, Olivia. Alex here is just so formal sometimes. She needs to loosen up."

Olivia put her silverware on her now empty plate. "That's what I told her this morning!" she exclaimed.

"I'm right here, guys!" Alex said, feigning hurt, but secretly enjoying the easy camaraderie between Olivia and Josie.

Josie and Olivia looked at each other and burst into laughter. Alex just shook her head and continued to eat her breakfast.

"I put together a box of stuff for you to take back to the cabin. Well, it's more like two boxes. Two big ones and a small one, really," Josie said as she took Olivia's plate.

Alex's eyes went wide. "Josie!"

"What? Olivia said she wanted to sample everything, so I'm gonna make that happen. And it's supposed to snow again so you'll need food in the cabin and the small box is the cupcakes I made especially for you two, so there!"

Olivia put her hand on Alex's shoulder. "Sounds like bulletproof logic to me, Alex."

Alex rolled her eyes as a smirk crept onto her face. "I hate you both."

"No, you don't. You looooooooooooove us!" Josie taunted as she reached out and patted Alex's hand. Turned toward the backroom, she added, "I'm gonna go get your boxes. I'll be right back."

When the door swung shut behind her, Olivia turned on the barstool and gave Alex a toothy grin.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Alex asked with a slightly confused tone.

"I'm just happy. I'm on my first real vacation in years; I'm full of what is quite possibly the best breakfast I've eaten in my entire life, which was made by someone who is one of the most charming, gracious people I've ever met; and I'm doing all this with someone who thought enough of me to ask me to come along to her private haven." She put her hand on Alex's knee. "Thank you."

Alex put a hand over Olivia's. "Anytime," she said sweetly.

Once again the door swung open and revealed Josie, her arms laden with boxes. Hoisting them onto the counter, she sighed, "I think that's all of 'em."

"That had better be all of them!" Alex said as she stood up and put her jacket on. "Liv, you're eating most of that, so you can carry them."

Pulling on her own jacket, Olivia said, "Oh, I'm sure I'll be getting a little help from you, but fair enough." She picked up the boxes and settled them comfortably in her arms.

Josie came around the counter and gave Alex a big hug. "It was so good to see you again, Alex!"

"You, too, Josie. Thanks for everything."

Stepping back from Alex, Josie moved to Olivia and hugged her right side so as not to crush the boxes of pastries. "And, Olivia, you're welcome here anytime. I'm glad Alex has a friend like you in that big, unfeeling city she loves so much."

Olivia chuckled. "If what's in these boxes is half as good as your French toast, you'll be seeing me on a regular basis."

Josie beamed. "You're adorable. If I wasn't engaged, I'd ask you out."

Olivia gave Josie her best smile. "And I'd accept!"

Alex raised an eyebrow.

"Alex, be expecting an invitation for the wedding soon. I'll tuck Olivia's in with yours. And you're both coming to the bachelorette party, right?" Josie patted Alex on the back.

"Oh, we'll be there!" Olivia said cheerfully.

Josie clapped her hands together. "It's settled then!"

Leaning over to kiss Josie on the cheek, Alex said, "Well, we're gonna hit the grocery store and then I'm gonna show Olivia around a bit, so we better get going. Thanks again!" She walked toward the door with Olivia trailing behind.

"Bye, guys!" Josie called as the closed the door behind them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Y'all really know how to flatter a lady! Thanks for the reviews/story alerts/favourites/etc. 3 3 3 This is mostly a filler chapter so I can get these two back in that cabin (not to mention eventually on the bear skin rug in front of the fire...oh yeah!).**

Alex pushed the button on her keyring to unlock the car. Opening the rear door on the driver's side, she motioned for Olivia to put the boxes on the back seat. "Those'll be fine in here while we walk around a bit." When Olivia situated the boxes, Alex closed the door. "So I figured we'd walk up to the Plaza and then swing around and come back."

"Wherever you want to go, I'll follow," Olivia shrugged.

Alex smiled as they set off down the street. She pointed out her favourite shops and cafes while telling Olivia about how the place has changed over the years. Olivia listened intently to every word the other woman said. She was filing away each piece of personal information that Alex was giving up in order to learn as much as she could about her friend.

They walked down to the Plaza, a loop where lots of shops, cafes, and other businesses were centred. Rounding out the curve and getting ready to double back and head to the car, Olivia grabbed Alex's arm.

"Hang on just a sec. I need to get a picture of that place," she said as she pointed to a restaurant called The Munch Box. "I've gotta send it to Munch. He'll love it."

Olivia pulled out her phone and snapped a couple of pictures of the sign. She picked the best one of the two and forwarded it to Detective Munch. When she put her phone back in her pocket, she linked her arm with Alex's and put her hand back in her pocket.

While Alex and Olivia were walking back through town, they stayed silent. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence by any means. Alex was mostly thinking about her grocery list, but she was also keenly aware of the warmth Olivia's closer proximity provided. Olivia's mind was occupied by the sights, sounds, and feelings she was taking in. Montauk was a charming, though fairly deserted, place in the winter. The sound of the snow crunching beneath their feet was making her feel like a kid. And the feel of Alex's arm as she held it close to her body was exhilarating. Alex didn't seem to mind that her arm had been commandeered. It's not like it was doing much before Olivia took hold of it. As they came to the car, Alex unlocked the car with the remote on her keyring and untangled her arm from Olivia's. Still silent, they got in the car, fastened their seat belts and off they went to the grocery store.

Pulling into the small parking lot, Alex asked Olivia, "Have any ideas for what you want to eat? I've got a few, but I want to make sure you have what you like, too."

Undoing her seat belt, Olivia answered, "I'm pretty easy to please food-wise. I eat pretty much anything."

"I'll rephrase: what foods will you absolutely not eat?"

Olivia smiled at Alex's use of courtroom speak, then narrowed her eyes in concentration. "I hate avocado, bell peppers, raw onions but cooked onions are fine, cheesecake, sweet pickles, honeydew melons, cantaloupe, cauliflower, pears...and that's all I can think of right now," she said with a nod.

Alex looked at Olivia with disbelief. "Nobody hates avocado! They're so good for you!"

"It's called 'nature's butter'! As if that's not gross enough, it doesn't taste like anything and the texture's like whipped mud!" Olivia said, wrinkling her nose.

Alex just shook her head. "And what woman hates cheesecake? They'll revoke your lady card for that one!"

"In case you haven't noticed, Alex, I'm not your average lady. I work with a whole squad of guys, and the only real contact with other women I have for the most part is with victims or members of the DA's office, so I don't get a lot of feminine influence on any given day."

Smiling, Alex nodded. "Makes sense...kind of."

Olivia gave Alex's shoulder a playful shove. "Actually, when I was ten years old, my mother got a huge cheesecake for dessert on Christmas and I ate half of it by myself...in one sitting. Needless to say, the next few hours weren't exactly merry, and I've never eaten cheesecake again."

"Ah, now _that_ makes more sense," Alex said as she winked at Olivia.

Olivia chuckled as she got out of the car and waited for Alex to do the same. When she heard the chirp of the car alarm behind her, she turned to Alex and held out her arm in an "after you" gesture. Alex gave a curtsey and walked ahead. Olivia grinned and followed Alex into the store.

Alex grabbed a cart while Olivia grabbed a hand basket. "OK, Liv, take your basket and go get what you want. Anything at all. Then after we leave here we'll hit the liquor store for wine and whatnot. Sound like a plan?"

"Food, then booze. Works for me." She turned and stalked off down the aisle.

In a few minutes Alex had chosen ingredients for several meals that she knew to be easy to prepare at the cabin, and the makings of s'mores because it was one of her cabin traditions to make s'mores in front of the fire. She didn't want to get too much food because she knew Olivia was also picking things out. Curious to see what the detective had in her basket, she went in search of Olivia.

Olivia was two aisles down staring intently at a shelf display. She didn't notice Alex coming up beside her.

"Ah, the spice aisle. I should have guessed the spice geek would be here."

Still looking at the display, Olivia reached up to grab a small jar of ground mustard seed and said, "You shouldn't make fun of my spice knowledge, Alex. I figured I'd throw together some of my secret recipe dry rub and make steaks for dinner one of these nights. But if that's too spice geeky for you, I could always make you something less complicated."

Alex threw her hands up in mock surrender. "Spice geek comment withdrawn. I'll accept steak for dinner anytime."

"That's what I thought," Olivia said, looking at Alex out of the corner of her eye. She grabbed a couple more jars from the shelf and placed them in the basket.

Looking into Olivia's basket, Alex saw that she'd picked out, a couple of steaks, a six pack of beer, and what looked like the ingredients for chili. She took the basket from Olivia and put the contents in the cart. "What else do we need?"

Olivia surveyed the contents of the cart. "I think I've got everything I wanted...at least for now. We can always come back if we decide we need something else."

Alex nodded. "That's what I was thinking. Let's go check out and get the booze!" She grabbed the cart and headed toward the checkout lane, while Olivia followed with the empty basket in hand.

When she'd put the basket back in the stack next to the door, Olivia went over to help Alex unload the cart. As she placed everything on the conveyor belt, she got an idea. "Hey, Alex, can you run back and grab me some lime pepper from the spice aisle? It's probably the most important ingredient in my steak rub and I can't believe I didn't grab it!"

"Be right back." Alex shimmied between the cart and the conveyor belt and jogged back toward the aisle where the spices were.

Olivia reached into her pocket, pulled out her debit card, and handed it to the cashier. "Use this to pay for everything. Don't take any money from my friend," she said with a wink.

The young man winked back at Olivia. "Gotcha," he said and continued to scan and bag everything.

Just as he grabbed the last item and scanned it, Alex came jogging back up to the counter. "Here you go," she said as she handed it to the cashier, who immediately scanned it and put it in the bag. She looked at Olivia and said, "I'm surprised you'd forget the most important ingredient in your rub."

Olivia shrugged and smiled because as Alex was talking to her, the ADA had her back to the register while the cashier ran her card. "Well, some blonde woman was distracting me while I was trying to remember what I needed."

Alex reached to grab her wallet. "Yeah, sure, blame it on me," she said jokingly.

Handing Olivia the receipt and her card, the cashier said, "Thank you, ma'am. Have a great day!"

"You too!" she replied as she nonchalantly began putting the bags in the cart.

Alex's eyes went wide. "You didn't just pay for all that, did you?"

Smiling smugly, Olivia answered, "Yes, I did. Maybe next time you'll question me _before_ you run off to do my bidding."

Alex growled and shook her fist at Olivia, who just kept on grinning. When the last bag was loaded in the cart, Alex steered it out to the car and popped the trunk. She and Olivia got everything in the car, then Olivia took the cart back to the building. Alex climbed in the driver's seat, put on her seat belt, and tried to come up with a fitting revenge for Olivia. She quickly devised a plan, and now had to try to make the pieces come together for a smooth execution. A devilish grin spread across her face.

The detective opened the passenger door and got in. She looked over to Alex as she buckled her seat belt. "Ready to- Whoa! Why do you look like you're plotting something?"

Turning the key in the ignition, Alex put the car in gear and pulled out into the street. "Just thinking about something," she said with a devious tone.

"Um...OK," Olivia said, sounding a bit nervous. That look on Alex's face said she was definitely up to something. She knew that Alex was shrewd and calculating when it came to her work, but what scheme could she possibly be cooking up while she was on vacation?

The sly grin never left Alex's face as they drove to the liquor store. Olivia gave up trying to figure out what was going through Alex's mind and relegated herself to the fact that she was probably going to find out what Alex was smirking about soon enough.

The liquor store was around the corner from the grocery store. Alex and Olivia exited the car and went inside. Alex headed straight for the wine, while Olivia went for the hard alcohol. Grabbing two bottles of cabernet sauvignon, and a bottle of riesling, Alex went to find Olivia.

Olivia had a bottle of whiskey under her arm and was browsing the liqueur selection.

"Whiskey, huh?" Alex said as she came up beside Olivia.

Olivia smiled. "Yeah. I figured it's what robust outdoors-y women would drink."

"Sounds good to me. We should get something to mix with hot chocolate, too."

"I vote Frangelico or amaretto," Olivia offered.

Alex picked a small bottle of Frangelico from the shelf. "Ready?"

Olivia nodded. "Yep. Let's get back to the cabin so I can decimate some of those pastries."

Alex made it a point to pay for their purchases and handed Olivia the bag to carry out to the car.


	5. Chapter 5

**I hate that it's taken me so long to update. We're grossly understaffed at work and I've been picking up shifts like crazy. The one silver lining on that black cloud is that my job is fairly mindless, so I toss around story ideas in my head pretty much all day long. :) So without further ado, I present chapter five.**

It had started to snow lightly on the drive back to the cabin. Alex had smiled when Olivia had insisted on riding with the pastry boxes on her lap; her reasoning had been that in the event of an accident, she would shield them from harm. Stealing a sideways glance at the detective as she drove, she saw Olivia's hand moving slowly back and forth along the side of the bottom box.

"Are you caressing that box?" Alex teased.

Olivia's hand quickly stopped its motion. "What? NO! Um...I was, er, holding them in place so they wouldn't slide around!"

"Riiiiiiiight."

"Look, I can't bake to save my life so when someone bakes for me I just really, really appreciate it," Olivia huffed.

Alex giggled. "Then, by all means, caress away!"

"Nah. You ruined the moment," Olivia said jokingly.

Turning off the road onto the driveway, Olivia turned to Alex. "So what's the plan for the rest of the day?"

"Well, I was thinking as soon as we get everything put away we could eat some of those baked goods you've been aching to try, maybe watch a video while we relax in front of the fire, then I'd cook dinner, and then we'll see what we feel like after that," Alex replied as she parked next to the cabin.

"Count me in."

Alex got out of the car and popped the trunk. She grabbed an arm load of bags and walked up the path to the porch. Olivia had exited the car as well and followed, carrying the bakery boxes. After handing Olivia the keys since it would be easier for her to open the door, Alex turned and looked out at front yard. The snow was still falling and the temperature was dropping. Despite the fact that it was still fairly early in the afternoon the sun had pretty much disappeared and dark clouds were rolling in. If there was ever a night to be spent in front of the fire, this was the one.

When Olivia had unlocked and opened the door, she and Alex each took their items to the kitchen and went back out to get the rest of the groceries. After everything was brought inside and put away, Olivia carried the pastry boxes from the kitchen to the table and opened each of the lids. A predatory grin spread across her face. "I don't even know where to start."

Alex started a fire in the fireplace, then brought two plates, two forks, and two napkins to the table. "I know right where I'm starting," she said as she took a piece of pumpkin bread and put it on her plate.

"I think I'm going to start with one of the cookies, then move on to a muffin. Then if I have any room left I'll have a piece of that pumpkin bread. I'm saving the cupcakes for after dinner," Olivia announced as she pointed to each item.

After sitting down and putting a napkin across her lap, Alex took a bite of her pumpkin bread. "Of all the things Josie makes, this recipe is the only one she never deviates from. It was our grandfather's favourite. She made it for his birthday every year." She took another bite. "He built this cabin, you know."

Olivia had loaded her plate full and sat down next to Alex. "Really?"

"Yep. To impress my future grandmother." Alex nodded as she ate another bite of pastry.

Olivia's eyes went wide as she picked up the cookie from her plate. "Wait, so let me get this straight. Your strapping, young grandfather built _this cabin_," she gestured around the room, the cookie still in her hand, "to impress your future grandmother?" Alex nodded again. "Well, obviously she was impressed or we wouldn't be here right now. And it explains why this place is modest and practical. Did he have a back-up plan in case she didn't care that someone built her a cabin with his own two hands?" Olivia finally took a bite. She chewed for a moment, held up the cookie and said with her mouth full, "This is spectacular, by the way. Dark chocolate chips with cherries. I love it!" Olivia took another bite from her cookie.

Alex grabbed a cookie from the box and put it on her plate. "No back-up plan. He was certain it'd work."

"If I was him and she didn't like my cabin, I'd burn it to the ground," Olivia said before putting the last of the cookie in her mouth. She watched for a moment as Alex broke off pieces of her cookie and ate them. "Can I ask you another question?"

"Of course."

Olivia lips curled into a smirk. "What's the deal with the bear skin rug?"

Chuckling as she shook her head, Alex grinned at her friend. "Legend has it that my grandfather killed and skinned it with his bare hands, but it turns out that my father got it at a swap meet."

"And the antlers above the fireplace?"

"Same swap meet. He thought it would make the atmosphere seem more 'authentic'."

"He definitely succeeded in making a cabin in the woods feel more like a cabin in the woods," Olivia stated as picked up the muffin that was next on her list, taking a big bite off the top.

Alex laughed at Olivia's enthusiasm. "Don't hold back, there, Liv. Show that muffin who's boss!"

Still chewing, Olivia just smiled at her friend. When she swallowed, she said, "I'm really going to have to control myself with all this baked goodness around. I'll never be able to chase down perps when I get back if I eat like this and don't move around a bit. I'm gonna go outside and walk around for a bit before it gets too dark. Care to join me?"

Alex's mind kick-started into action. Her plan to seek a little good natured revenge on Olivia was about to begin. _This is too perfect! She's falling right into my trap and I didn't really have to do anything to make it happen_, Alex thought. "Yeah, sure! I'm just gonna put the rest of this away for later and then I'll be out in a minute. You go on ahead. I'll catch up," she said as she rose from the table.

Olivia nodded and grinned brightly. "Great! I'll see you outside!" She turned and went to put her parka on.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind Olivia, Alex said quietly, "You won't see me, Olivia Benson, but you'll definitely know I'm there!" She chuckled to herself as she stacked the boxes on the kitchen counter. Then she put her jacket and gloves on and went out onto the porch as quietly as possible. She carefully closed the door so she wouldn't make a sound.

Scanning the wooded area around the front of the cabin, she spotted Olivia standing about ten metres ahead. Her head was tilted back and she was looking up at the night sky. The clouds that were emptying a light dusting of snow earlier had momentarily cleared and the stars were twinkling brilliantly in the black sky. If Olivia had heard Alex's movements, she gave no indication. Alex was counting on the detective being deep in thought; if she wasn't, Alex would have to revise her plan. It was a given that Alex could think on her feet and come up with solutions to things that pertained to her job, but this plan was the kind of thing Olivia did every day. Still, she was proud of herself for drafting this manoeuvre, and she would probably burst with satisfaction if she could pull it off without a hitch. _It's now or never, Cabot,_ she told herself as she put on her game face.

Meanwhile, Olivia was trying to commit each star's position to memory. Alex was right when she said that there were more stars than sky. It wasn't even completely dark yet, but in the absence of city light, the night sky was glittering in a way that Olivia never wanted to forget. She was a city girl at heart, but she could get used to going out into the wilderness once in a while. While the sky and the snow and the natural beauty in general were a welcomed change of scenery, what she was really enjoying most on this vacation was spending time with Alex. The younger woman had been receptive to Olivia's friendly touches, and didn't even flinch when Olivia had entwined Alex's arm with her own. _She's probably just being friendly. What is a beautiful, straight woman like that going to want to do with a gritty, dyke cop like me?_ She sighed, watching her breath float away in a frosty cloud. _Enough with __the pity party, Liv. You're here to relax and enjoy yourself_. As she looked sadly down at her feet, it hit her.

Literally.

The snowball got her square in the back and exploded on impact. "You are so dead, Cabot!" she shouted as she spun around just in time to see the blonde running off into the treeline.

"Try and get me, Liv! I know these woods better than anyone!" Alex called over her shoulder.

"It's on!" Olivia shouted and sprang into action. She bent down and patted a couple of handfuls of snow into a decent sized snowball and then took off in the direction of Alex's laughter. Since she wasn't familiar with the terrain, she figured she could follow Alex's footprints in the snow. Ducking behind trees as she advanced, she paused for a moment and surveyed the scene. "Come out and show your face, Alex! Ambushes are for cowards!" she taunted, closing her eyes to focus on listening for sounds that could give away Alex's position. All she heard was the wind whistling through the trees.

Using a particularly large tree as cover, Alex saw that the detective's eyes were closed and chucked another snowball, hitting Olivia's left shoulder. The jolt caused Olivia to drop the snowball she had been carrying and she growled in frustration, which caused Alex to burst into laughter. Watching as Olivia bent down to retrieve her lost ammunition, Alex lobbed a snowball that narrowly missed Olivia's head.

"When I finally find you, Alex, I'm gonna-" Olivia sneered.

"Keep up the trash talk, detective! I'm up two hits to zero! We're not on the mean streets of Manhattan right now! This is MY beat! I'm the law around here!"

Olivia stood still and tried to listen again for any sounds that might tell her where her opponent was. The light was fading quickly and soon she wouldn't be able to see anything. Again she heard nothing, so she would have to continue to follow Alex's tracks as long as the waning daylight allowed. She spotted a set of footprints that headed around the corner of the porch. Quickly following them, she saw that they stopped abruptly once the trail rounded the corner. _What in the hell?_ Olivia thought. She looked all around to see if there was any sign of a continuation of the tracks, but there was nothing except a dead end. It suddenly dawned on Olivia that Alex must have been doubling back through her own footprints in an effort to keep from being followed. The faint sound of crunching snow behind Alex's car alerted Olivia's senses. Quickly running through possible scenarios, Olivia decided to switch tactics.

"Oliiiiiiviaaaaaaaa!" Alex's voice sang from the darkness. "I bet it's killing you that I'm winning! Are you gonna try to pay for everything again? Or do you need to take a few more direct hits before you learn your lesson?"

"Whatever, Alex. This is childish. I'm going inside," Olivia stated, trying to sound upset. She had crouched behind the far side of the front steps, made three snowballs, then peeked out to see Alex stand up behind her makeshift bunker with a guilty look on her face.

"Liv, I'm sorry. I thought this would be funny and I didn't mean to imply that you couldn't pay for anything. I just-"

"FIRE IN THE HOOOOOOOOOOLE!" Olivia jumped up and threw the three snowballs at a very blindsided Alex in rapid succession. Two hit the ADA in the chest, and one missed her completely. Olivia cackled at the expression of surprise frozen on Alex's face. "Two to two! We're tied! But I'm still gonna win!"

The look on Alex's face changed to one of impassivity as she reached up slowly to brush the snow off her jacket. "Well played." She gave Olivia a challenging glare. "But all's fair in love and war." And with that she charged Olivia.

The detective stopped laughing and having taken note of the fact that Alex looked like a jungle cat ready to pounce on prey, she took off running in the opposite direction.

Alex's long legs made catching up to Olivia very easy. Launching herself with her arms extended, she grabbed the fleeing detective around the waist and they both landed with a soft thud in the snow. Alex had pinned her to the ground, but Olivia managed turn over underneath the surprisingly strong blonde woman. "You played dirty, detective. Toying with my emotions like that will not go unpunished," Alex said as a feral grin spread across her face.

Still in shock that she had been tackled by Alex, Olivia opened her mouth to ask what Alex meant by that, but couldn't get the words to come out. She furrowed her brow and closed her mouth.

"I win," Alex whispered as she leaned down, her face close enough to Olivia's that the brunette could feel the heat of the ADA's breath. Alex's gaze never left Olivia's eyes as she slowly reached her right hand out, grabbed a handful of snow and shoved it down Olivia's collar.

The feeling of the cold having jumpstarted her brain, Olivia flipped Alex over so their positions were now reversed. She grabbed some snow and stuck it up under Alex's jacket and shirt, causing Alex to squeal and squirm as it melted instantly on her skin. Laughing maniacally, Olivia leaned down, and whispered directly into Alex's ear, "Now _I_ win." She rolled off Alex and they lay side by side catching their breath. Alex started to giggle quietly, then a little louder, and finally she was laughing so hard there were tears in her eyes. Hearing her friend giggle made Olivia giggle and soon they were both roaring with laughter.

When their breathing returned to normal and the laughter died down, Olivia looked over at Alex. "Truce?"

Alex turned her head to look at Olivia. "Truce."

"My neck is cold," Olivia offered.

"Yeah, well, so's my torso," Alex countered, smirking.

Olivia got to her feet and reached out a hand to Alex, which she took and pulled herself up. "Let's go inside, put another log on the fire, change out of these wet clothes, make some tea, and then we can think about what we want for dinner."

As they walked to the porch, Olivia looked at Alex. "So who really won?"

Alex rolled her eyes as she shook her head. "Two hits and one good snow-stuffing each make it a draw."

Olivia chuckled and looked straight ahead. "Yeah. That's what I was thinking." She opened the door and allowed Alex to enter before she did the same and closed the door behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

Alex went straight to the fireplace and put two more logs on, then poked around the coals and made sure everything was burning. Standing back up, she took her jacket off and went to hang it on the rack next to the door.

"I'm gonna take a quick shower, OK?" Olivia said as she grabbed her pyjamas off the bed.

"Sure. I'll take one when you're done. Towels are in the cabinet under the sink," Alex replied as she went to the kitchen to fill the kettle for tea.

Olivia closed the bathroom door and balanced her clothes on the edge of the sink. She took her travel shampoo out of her toiletry bag and put it on the shelf next to the tub, then bent down and took a fluffy maroon towel out of the cupboard. The claw foot tub had been upgraded with a shower head fixture and a curtain that enclosed the entire space. After she hung the towel on the hook next to the tub, Olivia turned the water on and adjusted the temperature. When it was suitably warm, she quickly undressed, tossing her wet clothes haphazardly on the floor. She stepped into the spray and pulled the curtain closed, sighing as the hot water cascaded down her body. She wasn't tense exactly, but the fight-or-flight response that was triggered by her snowball war with Alex had yet to completely wear off. Olivia picked up her shampoo, squeezed some into her hand, and massaged it into her scalp. She thought of her day out with Alex and smiled. She smiled even wider when she recalled her epic snow battle with the ADA. As Olivia remembered the delicious weight of the blonde on top of her, and then the feel of Alex's warm breath on her face as she leaned in to taunt her, Olivia's heart began to race and her limbs tingled with excitement. Inhaling deeply, she hoped the lavender scent of her shampoo would calm her so she wouldn't appear flustered when she went back out to Alex.

Out in the kitchen Alex had gotten two mugs and the box of tea out of the cupboard. Leaning back against the counter, she was replaying the snowball fight in her mind while she waited for Olivia to finish in the bathroom. She hadn't had that much fun in a long time. Alex started laughing when she remembered the look on Olivia's face as she shoved the snow down the detective's shirt. She stopped laughing as the goosebumps rose on her arms and legs when she remembered the sound of Olivia's whisper in her ear right before the detective returned the favour. Electricity shot up Alex's spine. She'd never heard Olivia's voice take on such a tone. It was something Alex wanted to hear again (and again and again and again).

The sound of the bathroom door opening startled Alex. Olivia walked over to the kitchen, putting her clothes in a pile on the floor next to her bed, and towel drying her hair as she went. "Your turn. I think I left some hot water, but I really don't know," she said to Alex.

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Alex smiled. "I'll be out in a little while."

"I'll try to have the tea ready when you get out," Olivia said as Alex picked her pyjamas up off the bed and went into the bathroom. Standing in the kitchen, Olivia looked around absently as she continued to dry her hair. She looked at the appliances, the counter, the cupboards, the sink, the table, and the chairs. Turning slowly she looked at the mounted antlers above the fireplace, the mantle, the woodpile, the fire, then the bear skin rug. Cocking her hear to the side to dry the top of her head, she looked at Alex's bed in the corner, then the linen closet, her bed, and finally she'd completed the 360 degree turn and was once again looking at the kitchen table. _Chairs...fire...bear skin rug...blankets... It's brilliant! _she thought. Tossing the towel over the back of one of the chairs, she set to work.

Alex was happy to be out of her soaking clothes. The scent of Olivia's lavender shampoo still hung heavy in the air and that made Alex sigh dreamily. Quickly washing her hair and scrubbing all the requisite body parts, she turned the water off, grabbed her towel, and dried off as quickly as she could. She put on her pyjamas and wrapped the towel around her wet hair. When she opened the door, she was surprised by what she saw.

Olivia was nowhere to be seen. The only light in the room was coming from the fire, and there was an unfamiliar sort of structure made of what looked to be two kitchen chairs and the extra blankets from the closet standing between the sofa and the fireplace.

"Liv?"

"Hey!" Olivia's head appeared from behind the blankets. "I built us a blanket fort!"

"How old are you, Liv?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

"_You_ initiate a snowball fight and you're looking at me like I've lost my mind because _I_ built a blanket fort? Fine. You're not allowed in. Sit on the couch like the common people," Olivia said mock-accusingly as she ducked back into her creation.

Alex reached up and took the towel off her head, putting it next to Olivia's as she stepped around to the front of the blanket fort. Olivia was sitting cross legged inside. "This is a very interesting side of you. Who knew the tough-as-nails cop indulged her inner child by making castles with the bed linens."

Patting the open space next to her on the bear skin rug, Olivia gave Alex a toothy grin as the ADA sat down and stretched her legs out in front of her. "When I was a kid I used to build forts in the living room all the time. I'd use couch cushions and the sheets off my bed." Olivia's smile faded as she gazed into the fire, watching the flames dance as her mind dredged up pieces of her childhood.

Alex studied Olivia's profile. It was obvious that the older woman was lost in thought. There was a melancholy look in her brown eyes and Alex was grateful for the opportunity to see the side of Olivia that was willing to show some degree of vulnerability. To her, this was a gift. The passion for the detective's work was fuelled by the painful past around which she had built the wall that she seldom let people behind. Knowing that Olivia's job made relationships of any kind nearly impossible to maintain, she understood that there were few people who _knew_ Olivia Benson. Alex hoped that Olivia would trust her enough to let her in, if only just a little.

Olivia knew Alex was looking at her and had been for some time. It made her feel a little exposed, but not uncomfortable. Her mind had returned from the flood of memories that rushed in when she thought of her childhood. "I forgot to boil the water for the tea," she stated.

"I'll get it." Alex got up and turned the burner on. Instead of sitting back down next to Olivia, she laid down on her stomach, facing the fire and propping her head up on her hands. A moment later Olivia had moved into the same position, her right side pressed to Alex's left. The ADA stole a sideways glance at the detective and smiled when she saw the content look gracing her features. "This is nice," she said as she looked forward again.

Olivia folded her arms in front of her and lowered her head to rest on them. She turned to look at Alex. Feeling Olivia's gaze, Alex turned to look at her. Alex grinned and looked back to the flames in front of her. Olivia gave her trademark lopsided grin as she rested her chin on her crossed arms and also looked to the fire. They didn't say a word as they lay next to each other enjoying the warmth and the nearness of each other. The kettle's shrill whistle interrupted their moment.

Jumping up, Olivia stepped over Alex to head into the kitchen. "My turn."

Alex closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of Olivia ripping open the tea bags and pouring the water. The next sounds she heard were Olivia's light footsteps, and the sounds of two mugs being placed next to her head. She opened her eyes and sat up, moving into a cross legged position. Olivia did the same next to her, but instead of leaving space between them as they did before, she was once again pressing her right side to Alex's left. Reaching down and handing Olivia one of the mugs, Alex got an idea.

"Tell me something about yourself, Liv."

Holding her steaming mug tightly with both hands, Olivia looked at Alex with a confused look on her face. "What?"

Alex picked up her own mug and dunked the tea bag a few times. "Tell me anything that has to do with you. I've talked about myself plenty since we've been here, and I've learned a few new things about you, but I'm sure there's more to Olivia Benson besides an extensive spice knowledge and an inability to bake."

The detective looked into her mug, her face showing slight discomfort. "Alex, I'm not good at that stuff. I don't even know where to begin."

Not wanting to upset Olivia, but not wanting her to retreat further behind her wall, Alex decided to give her an out. "You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to. I shouldn't pry. I'm sorry."

Olivia sighed. "No, Alex, it's OK. I just don't know what to say. I'm not one for volunteering personal information unless I have to."

"Well, how about I ask you questions. If you don't want to answer, you don't have to."

Taking a sip of her tea, Olivia nodded. "OK."

"If you could have one super power, what would it be?" Alex asked, smiling at her friend.

Olivia laughed. "That's what you really want to know about me?"

"I figured since we're hanging out in a blanket fort that it was probably as good an opening as any." Alex sipped her tea and winked at Olivia.

With a silly grin on her face, Olivia stated, "Invisibility."

"And why is that?"

Taking another drink of tea, Olivia thought of a response. "First there's the practical applications of being invisible. I mean, it'd be great for sneaking up on suspects and perps! And then you have the more fun aspects of invisibility, like spying on people, sneaking into places, stalking exes, and so on."

Alex nodded slowly as Olivia spoke. "Good answer. Everyone always says they want to be able to fly."

"There're too many skyscrapers in New York. You'd never be able to fly in a straight line," Olivia said seriously.

"So you've given this a lot of thought?" Alex teased.

Olivia smiled. "I've spent a lot of time on stake-outs with Elliot. Conversations can get a little ridiculous when you've spent the entire night parked in front of some building." She took a long drink of her tea. "What about you? What would Super Alex be known for?"

"Telepathy. It'd be handy in the courtroom, and I'd always know what people's intentions were." An image popped into her mind. "We could fight crime together. I'd read minds and give you information and you'd sneak up on the suspects and arrest them."

"I'm not wearing tights, Alex. Or a cape, for that matter," Olivia said, wrinkling her nose, then drinking the last of her tea.

Alex finished her tea and put the mug off to the side. "We'd wear what we normally do. We wouldn't want to be too flashy."

Olivia chuckled and set her mug on the floor. "I can't believe we're having this conversation."

Shoving the detective's shoulder playfully with her own, Alex countered, "And I can't believe we're two adult women having this conversation in a fort made from chairs and blankets."

As Olivia shoved Alex back, she said, "But you like it."

"You're right." Alex looked into Olivia's eyes and held her gaze. The prolonged eye contact momentarily reset the circuits in the ADA's brain, causing her heart to skip a beat.

Olivia noticed the flicker in Alex's facial expression and reached out to touch the other woman's knee. "Ground control to Major Tom," she said, trying to get the blonde's attention. "Are you OK, Alex?"

Returning to reality, Alex nodded vigorously. "Yeah! I'm fine. My mind wandered for a second."

The detective gave Alex's knee a squeeze before removing her hand. "It happens."

"I guess I should start dinner. How does fettuccine alfredo with chicken sound?" Alex said as she stood up and stretched her back.

Olivia got up and started to pull the blanket off the top of the chairs. "Sounds great."

Alex put a hand on Olivia's arm. "Leave it. We're coming back to it after dinner."

Grinning as she put a hand over Alex's, Olivia laughed. "Deal."


	7. Chapter 7

**I never intended it to take this long for another update. In a strange twist of fate, I'm pretty much becoming the overworked/cranky/exhausted Olivia from the first chapter. My work is slowly and methodically killing me. The overtime is nice, but I need an Alex to whisk me away for a week more than I need the money. Anyhooter, here's chapter seven.**

Dinner was coming along nicely. It wasn't a gourmet meal by any means, but it was easy to make at the cabin and would make great leftovers. Alex cooked the chicken in the skillet while waiting for the pasta to soften up. Olivia had tried to help in the kitchen, but Alex told her that she would be of more help if she set the table.

Olivia put the two remaining chairs on one side of the table, then went to the cabinet to get out the place settings. "That smells amazing, Alex."

"It's nothing fancy," the blonde said as she checked the pasta again.

Opening the cabinet door and reaching up to grab two plates, Olivia laughed. "Oh, because I eat fancy meals all the time at home!" she mocked. "I barely have time to check my e-mail most nights, let alone cook something that takes more than five minutes to make!"

Alex decided the pasta was done and proceeded to strain it in the sink. "I was just stating a fact. I don't usually cook unless I have company. Cooking for one all the time can get a little depressing."

"Yeah, don't I know," Olivia said as she put the plates on the table, then went to get the silverware.

Something clicked in Alex's mind. "You know, some night when you're not working, and I'm not working, maybe we could get together and make dinner for two," she offered shyly.

Olivia looked over at Alex, who was still facing the stovetop. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. I could stand to expand my culinary skills beyond macaroni and cheese from a box," she agreed as she returned to the table with the knives and forks.

Alex turned around to face Olivia. "I thought you made chili and had some kind of secret recipe for steak rub."

"I make chili in my crock pot. The hardest thing I have to do for that is brown the meat. Then I put all the ingredients together, turn it on, and the crock pot does all the work. It's really not that hard. And I only make steaks for special people on special occasions," Olivia explained with a shrug.

"So does that make me a special person, or is this just a special occasion?" Alex asked, curious to see how Olivia would answer.

Smirking at her friend, Olivia clarified, "I said special people _on_ special occasions. That makes you special along with this occasion." Alex blushed. "Allow me to say again that I certainly wouldn't be here if it weren't you that had set up my impromptu vacation. The fact that you were so concerned with my welfare and wanted to do something nice for me really touched me. In closing," she pointed to Alex, "special person." Gesturing around the room with outstretched arms, she added, "Special occasion. Any questions?"

Tears pricked at the back of Alex's eyes. "Nope." She smiled self-consciously, not having expected the detective to say something quite that heartfelt.

"Good. Now that we've gotten some of the feelings business out of the way for the time being, let's eat! I'm starving!" Olivia pulled the chairs out from the table and went to help Alex bring everything to the table.

Alex put the finishing touches on the main dish and brought the bowl to the table. Olivia went to the refrigerator and grabbed the bottle of chardonnay from the night before and got two wine glasses on her way back to the table. As she poured the glasses of wine, Alex piled pasta on both plates. When plates and wine had been distributed, they sat side by side and began to eat.

"I know it's not fancy, but this is really good," Olivia said after finishing her first bite and following it with a healthy swig of wine.

Smiling as she ate a forkful of pasta, Alex swallowed and said, "Glad you like it."

Olivia twirled the noodles on her fork. "Are you serious about getting together and cooking dinner sometime?" she said, eyes fixated on her plate.

"Yeah. I figured it'd be fun to try out new recipes and learn new styles of cooking," Alex said before sipping her chardonnay. "And have someone to get the fire extinguisher when things get out of hand," she added with a smile.

Looking up and seeing the grin on Alex's face made Olivia's heart flutter. She liked the idea of spending more time with Alex outside of work. _Even if it's just as friends_, the nagging voice in the back of her mind whispered. Shaking off that thought, she stabbed a piece of chicken with her fork and ate it.

"I didn't make a side dish since I know you want to have cupcakes for dessert and I wanted to make sure we saved room for them."

"Good thinking. What kind are they?"

Alex smiled coyly. "The special flavour Josie makes for me."

"Which is...?" Olivia pressed as she ate a forkful of fettuccine.

"You'll just have to find out when you eat one," Alex stated nonchalantly and continued to eat her dinner.

Huffing in a faux melodramatic manner, Olivia teased, "I don't think I like this side of you, Alex."

Alex raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side. "You're a detective, Olivia, so..._detect__**,**_" she challenged.

Olivia's scowled at Alex briefly before eating the last few bites of her fettuccine. She drained her wine glass and took it and her plate to the sink. After getting two saucers from the cupboard, she grabbed the box of cupcakes and returned to sit next to Alex. "Eat faster. The cupcakes are waiting to be eaten!" Olivia said excitedly.

"I'm almost done." Alex ate the last bites of dinner all the while thinking that this childlike side of Olivia was endearing. She took her plate to the sink and went back to the table to grab her wine glass. "Hey, how 'bout we eat those in the fort? Seems like a fitting place for a cupcake feast."

Olivia's face lit up at the suggestion. "I like the way you think! You take these and head on in," she said as she handed Alex the box. "I'm gonna grab a beer from the fridge, and I'll be right there!"

Alex couldn't help but laugh at her friend's enthusiasm. She slid the box off the table and placed it on the floor along with her wine glass before crawling back in the blanket fort. Olivia put her beer next to the box and crawled inside and sat cross legged next to Alex.

"We're here, so dig in!" Alex flipped the box open and pushed it across the floor until it was directly in front of Olivia. "I present The Alexandra."

Olivia's brow furrowed as she looked at the six delicately frosted cupcakes in front of her. "She named this flavour after you?"

"Josie says it describes me: sweet and spicy at the same time." Josie had joked that 'fruity and hot' was the description for both the flavour combination as well as Alex, but decided that 'sweet and spicy' had more of a pleasant sound to it. Of course, Alex was absolutely not going to tell Olivia that piece of information at this time.

Shrugging, Olivia reached out and took one from the box. "Here goes." She peeled the wrapper off with reverence and slowly lifted it to her mouth. Taking a big bite out of the side, she closed her eyes and moaned her approval. She savoured the first bite and swallowed. "Peach cake with ginger frosting. Unbelievable! Is there anything Josie makes that isn't absolutely amazing?"

Alex laughed. "She makes cheesecake sometimes, which you admitted to not liking. And there's a pear cobbler she makes with locally grown pears, so you wouldn't like that. So to answer your question, yes, she does make things that wouldn't be amazing in your opinion."

Olivia stuck her finger in the icing and smeared it on Alex's nose. Alex frowned, while Olivia laughed and took another bite of her cupcake.

"I like it when you let me see this side of you," Alex said as she wiped the frosting off her nose and licked it from her finger.

"Thanks for bringing it out. It's nice to cut loose and have fun without having the weight of the world on your shoulders." Smiling shyly at her friend, Olivia broke off a piece of cupcake and offered it to Alex.

Instead of reaching out with her hand to take the piece of cake, she leaned in and snatched it from Olivia's fingers with her mouth.

The detective's eyes went wide and she pulled her hand back as quickly as she could. "I thought you were gonna bite me!"

Alex licked her lips and winked at her friend. "Only if you ask me to."

Olivia raised an eyebrow and ate the last of her cupcake.

"So if I stopped by your apartment at any given time, what are the chances of me finding you hanging out in a blanket fort?" Alex teased.

"Zero. But if you stopped by Elliot's place when I'm babysitting the twins, then there's at least a 75% chance you'd find a blanket fort with me in it. The only kid stuff I do at home is wear my pyjamas all day while watching cartoons and eating bowl after bowl of cereal."

Smiling at the mental picture she had of a pyjama clad Olivia watching cartoons, Alex said, "That's not just for kids. That's how I spent my summers in college. Law school was so draining that I took the summer break to do nothing but lay around and relax."

Olivia picked up her beer and took a long drink. She set the bottle down and once again laid out on her stomach. Alex did the same and scooted up next to Olivia, which made the detective smile. "So, what else did you want to ask me?"

"Hmmmmm..." Alex thought for a moment. "What was the best birthday celebration you ever had?"

Cocking her head to the side and running though the memories of birthdays past, Olivia took a deep breath and let it out. "I'd have to say the one that was planned with me in mind. It wasn't a traditional party or gathering. My friend met me on the corner of my block and from there we walked to my favourite coffee shop and had a light breakfast. Then she took me for a spa treatment where I had the most glorious massage. Then we went to dinner at this cajun bistro. I had macaroni and cheese with alligator meat in it. And we shared a huge piece of chocolate cake for dessert. Then we ended up at this cosy little jazz joint where we drank hot toddies and listened to some great local musicians. And then it was back to my place for a sleepover." She smiled at the memory. "That was a great day."

"Sounds like it. Your friend really planned a special day for you. Where's this friend now? Is it anyone I know?"

Olivia's frowned and shook her head. "No one you know. This friend and I aren't friends anymore. We had a falling out." She took another long drink of her beer.

Alex looked at the floor in front of her. She wanted details, but didn't want to push Olivia. "I'm sorry."

Shrugging, Olivia replied, "Don't be. I couldn't see what she was really like until things started to unravel between us. I couldn't believe she wanted to be with me. She was a fixer and saw me as a project. She couldn't accept me for who I was, so we parted ways...but not before it got ugly."

She couldn't be sure, but Alex was starting to think from the way that Olivia was describing her former "friend" that she may be referring to an ex. And she had used a feminine pronoun when referring to this person, which would make that an ex-_girlfriend_. Alex's curiosity was ratcheting up exponentially now, but she had to be subtle in trying to figure out if she was right or not. Good thing she was a lawyer with skills to get people say what she needed them to without asking them point blank. She could now pursue a line of questioning that would hopefully reveal what she had always suspected about Olivia. Confident that she could continue to break through Olivia's defensive walls enough to find out one way or the other, she resolved to be patient and let Olivia do all the talking when she was ready.

Olivia was purposefully vague about the true nature of her relationship with that "friend". She didn't want to say that it was an ex-girlfriend because she didn't think Alex knew she was gay. It wasn't a secret, exactly, but it wasn't common knowledge either. She was pretty sure Alex wouldn't have a problem with it, but what if she did? Sure, she has a lesbian cousin who she's close to, but that's not the same as spending a week locked in a tiny cabin in the woods with a lesbian detective who happens to have a crush on her kindhearted friend. Olivia decided not to chance it and keep that little piece of information to herself. She was enjoying this time with Alex and didn't want any misunderstandings to ruin it.

Alex tried to stifle a yawn, but failed miserably. "I guess I'm more worn out from today than I thought."

"Yeah. I'm getting kind of sleepy too. Wrestling with you in the snow really took it all out of me."

Rolling her eyes at Olivia, Alex smirked. "The look on your face when I charged at you was priceless. It's burned into my memory forever."

"That was an impressive performance. You were like a tiger and I was like an oblivious antelope. If you ever leave the DA's office you could come chase down perps for us."

"I'll keep that in mind for the future," Alex said before yawning again.

Olivia got to her feet and reached a hand down to Alex to help her up. "I'll clean up. You go to bed."

Alex stretched her arms above her head. "Are you sure? I can take something to the kitchen."

"Pleeeease. It's, like, fifteen steps to the kitchen from here. I've got this. You rest up 'cos tomorrow I'm planning a snowball fight rematch. We're not leaving here until there's a clear winner." Olivia crouched down and picked up the beer bottle, which she situated in the crook of her elbow, then picked up Alex's wine glass, and used her free hand to pick up the pastry box. She stood back up and looked Alex in the eye. "Goodnight, Alex."

"G'night, Liv," Alex said with a grin. She turned and walked to her bed. As she threw back the covers, she heard faint humming coming from the kitchen. She looked at Olivia, who was washing the dishes and placing them in the drying rack. There was a dorky smile on her face and she looked happy. Alex smiled to herself and crawled into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. She fell asleep almost instantly.

When the last of the dishes had been washed, Olivia put the cupcake box with the other pastry boxes, and put her empty beer bottle in the recycling bin. She walked quietly over to the lamp and switched it off. Just before she went to her bunk bed, she looked over at Alex. Her face was glowing in the last of the firelight, and Olivia tiptoed over to get a closer look. She bent down and placed a light kiss on the sleeping woman's forehead. Alex didn't wake up, instead sighing contentedly in her sleep. "Sweet dreams, Alex," Olivia whispered and went to her own bed. Slipping between the sheets, she took one last look across the room to her friend. She closed her eyes and soon fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Well, kittens, work has struck again. I'd like to strike my work...with a lightning bolt. Or a fireball. Anyway, here's chapter eight. This is a turning point for the ladies, but around that bend lies some bumpy road... It's never easy for these two, that's for sure.**

Olivia shivered so hard she woke herself up. She had been toasty warm when she fell asleep, but that definitely wasn't the case now. Throwing back the covers, she stood up and blinked a few times to let her eyes adjust to the dim light of dawn breaking through the picture window. As she reached up to get the down comforter off the top bunk, she glanced behind her to look at Alex and saw that the blonde woman was still asleep. Before she turned back to the bed, she looked out the window, where something outside caught her attention. She walked over to get a closer look and gasped when she saw it. "Oh. My. God." As she ran to Alex she practically tripped over her own feet. "Alexalexalexalexalex!" she said as she shook Alex's shoulder. "Alex, wake up!"

Alex was in the middle of a particularly good dream where she and Olivia were a crime fighting duo (neither of them were wearing tights or a cape). She heard her name and felt a gentle shaking, but couldn't figure out if it was part of the dream or not. Opening one eye, she saw Olivia's wide eyed expression just inches above her. "Hmmmmm. What?" she said before yawning. "What time is it?"

"I have no idea! Just look outside!" Olivia waved her hands in the direction of the window.

"What exactly am I looking for?" Alex asked as she got out of bed and walked to the window. "Oh. I see," she nodded slowly as she took in the sight of the four feet of snow that had buried everything in sight.

Olivia came over and stood beside Alex. "What're we gonna do now?"

Turning around and heading back to bed, Alex replied, "Nothing that involves going outside. I personally am going back to sleep. You're welcome to do whatever you'd like." She flopped into bed and pulled the covers over her head.

Looking out the window a moment longer, Olivia turned toward Alex's bed. "I guess since I'm up I'll start a fire and get breakfast going." A muffled grunt came from beneath the covers, which Olivia took to be a sign of agreement from Alex. After getting a roaring fire lit in the fireplace to ward off the chill, she went to the kitchen to make breakfast. She opened the refrigerator to see what she could throw together, but something wasn't right. The light didn't come on. She turned a knob on the stove to see if it would turn on. It didn't. She went to the lamp next to the sofa and switched it on. Nothing happened. Tiptoeing back to Alex, she pulled the blanket down from Alex's head. "Alex," she whispered loudly.

"Mmmmmmmwhatnow?" Alex growled.

"The power's out."

"We're on a remote part of the island. It happens. It'll come back on eventually," Alex said before flipping over so she was laying on her stomach with her face pressed into her pillow.

"So I guess I won't be making you an omelet for breakfast," Olivia stated as she returned to the refrigerator to see what she could use up without having to use any power. She decided on eating the cheese and bread from their first night in the cabin. She dismantled the blanket fort and returned its components to their proper places. On her way back from the closet, she grabbed her book out of her bag, got the platter from the kitchen, and stretched out on the sofa to enjoy reading by the fire. The only thing missing from making this the way she'd like to spend every morning was coffee...and a certain blonde woman curled in her lap. _OK, so that's two things, but who's counting_, she thought. She looked over the back of the couch to the woman who was splayed out so adorably in bed. Olivia opened her book to the place she had left off and became so engrossed in the story she didn't hear Alex get up and come around to the sofa.

Alex lifted Olivia's outstretched legs, sat down, then repositioned the detective's legs across her lap. "I guess I'm awake now," she sighed.

Olivia swallowed hard at the fairly intimate position they were in. They'd never sat like that before, but the more Olivia thought about it, it wouldn't be an appropriate way to sit in the precinct or the courthouse. The only exception to that may be in the privacy of Alex's office, but the chances of someone knocking on her door for one reason or another would be high. _Stop analyzing it to death, Benson. This is pretty much what you wanted,_ she thought. "Sorry I got overexcited about getting snowed in. I don't think I've ever seen so much snow. And no power? How's that gonna work?"

"It's gotta be record snowfall. I've been coming here most of my life and I don't recall there ever being more than about two feet at a time. I hope there wasn't anything you wanted to do in town because I don't think we'll be getting there for a while. There's an emergency power outage kit in the closet. It's got candles, flashlights, a battery powered radio, camp stove, and some other stuff. It's not so bad. It's actually kind of fun without power. Like camping, but indoors." Alex reached and grabbed a couple of cheese cubes and popped them in her mouth.

Putting the bookmark back in its place, Olivia shook her head. "I'm not much of a camper, Alex."

"I said it's _like_ camping. It'll be fun. Where's your sense of adventure?" Alex asked with a smirk.

"I live adventure every day at work. I want boring, predictable, and planned."

Stealing two more cubes of cheese and eating them, Alex rested a hand on Olivia's thigh, and winked at the detective. "Then I guess it's a good thing I've got today planned out for us."

Olivia squinted at Alex. "What's the plan?"

"I figured we could read while the daylight lasts, then we could play cards and make s'mores by the firelight. I'll even fire up the camp stove on the porch and we can boil water for hot chocolate, with Frangelico, of course. Oh, and we should get some snow and stick it in the fridge to keep everything cold until the power kicks back on. We'll eat the rest of the cheese and bread and pastries for the time being, and we can break out last night's alfredo for dinner. Is that planned enough for you?" Alex smiled at Olivia.

Shrugging, Olivia gave Alex her signature lopsided grin. "That'll do."

Alex moved Olivia's legs and got up to go get her book from the nightstand. She picked up the comforters off the bunk beds and threw one at Olivia. "Move over."

"Why do you have to sit on the sofa? There's a perfectly good unoccupied love seat right there," Olivia said as she tucked the blanket around her legs.

Sticking out her bottom lip and pouting, Alex whined, "But I wanna sit with you."

Olivia smiled and tucked her legs underneath her. "Come on." She readjusted the blanket and watched as Alex situated herself at the opposite end of the sofa and opened her book. Olivia put the plate of food on the table and opened her book back up.

They read for several hours before they spoke again. The fire had been stoked and more cheese and French bread had been eaten, but it was all done in companionable silence. Since the snow on the roof was blocking the skylights, it got dark in the cabin sooner than it did outside. Alex got the emergency box from the closet and sat in front of the fire taking everything out. Olivia pretended to read her book but she was really watching Alex. Her pale skin and blonde hair glowed in the firelight. She looked ethereal and more than just a little sexy they way she bit her bottom lip as she sorted the contents in front of her.

Alex got up and placed the candles around the room and lit them as she went. Olivia put her book down and went to the kitchen to get the alfredo out of the fridge and split it between two plates. Going back and grabbing two beers from the fridge, she carried everything back to the sofa, where she handed a plate and beer to Alex.

Finally breaking the silence, Olivia said, "Sorry the food's cold."

Swallowing the bite she had just taken, Alex shook her head. "It's fine, Liv. It's not like I've never eaten cold food before and there's not a lot we can do about it given the circumstances."

"It just seems like you're more sophisticated than this. Eating cold fettuccine alfredo with a cop doesn't seem like-"

"STOP," Alex cut her off. "Olivia, don't even finish that thought. I don't live in a glittering ivory tower, and I'm not a princess who feels like they have to make nice with the lowly subjects. Where is this coming from? Why do you think I'm not perfectly happy eating cold pasta with you?"

Olivia sighed and looked at the antlers above the hearth. "I don't know, Alex. I guess I still can't figure out why you asked me to come with you. Why go through all the hassle of having to entertain someone else on your winter vacation?"

Alex put her plate on the floor. She scooted over to Olivia and did the same to the detective's plate. Taking Olivia's hands in her own, she brought them to her lips and kissed them. "It's no hassle entertaining you, Olivia. If I'm going to be perfectly honest, I've wanted to ask you to come here with me so many times. I like spending time with you. I know your job is your life, but I see the toll it takes on you. I know you think you don't need anyone, but I want you to know that if you ever do decide you need someone, I'm here for you, but only if you want to let me in. I care about you, Liv." Alex saw the surprise in Olivia's eyes. "Probably more than I have a right to, but please don't think that you're some charity case or that you're not special to me." She hadn't intended for all those feelings to come out, but luckily she stopped herself before she got to the inevitable confession of loving the fiery brunette as more than a friend.

Olivia's gaze never wavered from the spot on the wall. The words Alex had spoken so eloquently were sinking in. Her emotions were running wild and she was trying desperately to sort them out quickly and respond to the things Alex had said. "I don't deserve a friend like you, Alex."

Lifting Olivia's hands and holding them over her heart, Alex spoke softly, "Yes, you do. You deserve to be happy just like anyone else. You deserve friends who love you and would do anything for you. You give so much of yourself, Liv, and you get so little in return. I know you protect yourself by hiding behind that wall, but I know that behind it is the real you. I want to know you, Liv. I want to learn everything about you. But only if you want to let me in."

Tears fell from Olivia's eyes as she finally turned to look Alex in the eye. "You have all the right keys. You just need to keep trying different doors."

Alex reached up and wiped the tears from Olivia's cheeks. "Thank you," she whispered. Their eye contact went on for countless moments. Both women were holding their breath. Olivia was pretty sure her heart would beat out of her chest. Alex was positive that between the fact that she couldn't breathe and that her heart was skipping beats all over the place that she would pass out. But what happened next made her want to stay awake and alert.

They met in the middle. The kiss was tentative, but steadfast. It wasn't driven by lust, but instead conveyed comfort. Olivia's hands reached up and wound their way around the back of Alex's head and neck. When they broke apart, they gazed deeply into each other's eyes.

Alex smiled and sighed contentedly. "I've been wanting to do that for a VERY long time."

Olivia's face fell. "That can't happen again, Alex. You're straight."

Leaning back and cocking her head to the side, Alex shrugged. "Says who?"

Confusion coloured Olivia's features. "What are you saying?"

"I'm gay. A lesbian. A homosexual."

"No! That's...that's not possible," Olivia stammered.

Alex nodded slowly. "I'm pretty sure it is."

Olivia launched herself off the couch and started pacing. "How could I not know?"

Repositioning herself on the sofa, Alex shrugged again and smirked. "It's not like I go around saying, 'Hi, I'm Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot and I kiss chicks.' There's so much more to me than who I choose to date."

"But...but...you kissed me!" Olivia stopped pacing and turned a steely look to the woman on the sofa.

Alex stood up and moved toward Olivia. "It was to show you I care about you. Is that a problem?"

Olivia turned her back to Alex. "I can't fall in love with you, Alex. I don't want to ruin the one friendship I cherish above all else. I don't trust easily, and you know that, but I think of you as a close friend and I don't want to lose you."

Tears streaked down Alex's face. "You won't lose me."

"I know me, Alex. I know that I'm not good at relationships. I'm moody. I have to be alone sometimes to sort out what goes through my mind. I have nightmares. I don't always know how to express my feelings, good or bad."

Alex reached out and turned Olivia to face her, keeping her hands on her shoulders. "Do you think any of that matters to me? I understand, Olivia."

Pulling back from Alex's grip, Olivia put some distance between herself and the ADA. "No, you don't. I'll wind up pushing you away like I do with everyone who matters to me!" Her shoulders slumped and she began to sob.

Alex didn't know what to do. "I won't let that happen, Olivia."

"You won't have a choice. I'm not worth sticking around for."

"I'll be the judge of that," Alex said as she went to Olivia and put her arm around her shoulders.

Olivia shook her head. "I'm damaged."

"I don't believe that."

"It's true," Olivia whispered as she wiped the tracks of her tears from her cheeks.

Leading Olivia back to the couch, Alex sat down and gently pulled Olivia to sit down next to her. "Why are you damaged, Olivia? State your case, and I'll be the judge of whether you are or not. But know that whatever you say, I won't judge you, I won't leave you, and anything you say gets listened to with my ears and my heart. That's always been true." Alex took Olivia's hand and intertwined their fingers.

Olivia took several deep breaths and launched into her entire life story. Alex listened intently and squeezed Olivia's hand to give her strength. The younger woman's heart broke when she heard the details of Olivia's conception and rough childhood. It was no wonder why she felt the way she did because she was told at an early age that she was worthless and a mistake. When Olivia started on her teenage years and how she tried so hard to get away from her abusive life, Alex was glad that Olivia hadn't gone through with marrying that much older man, and instead decided to work on becoming a police officer so she could make a difference in the world. It made her so proud that the detective chose to help victims in a way that no one did for her mother.

When Olivia finished talking, she looked down at the floor. "Sorry to dump all that on you. It's hard to explain why I am the way I am without starting from the very beginning." She let out a sad laugh. "Now see if you can shut me up."

"I just got you to open up to me so I don't want you to shut up. I want to learn everything about you, and don't you forget it. I'm not scared by your past, Olivia, and I'm still here. I don't pity you or look down at you. As terrible as your past is, it made you who you are right this second. It made you the person people trust and admire."

Olivia smiled at Alex. "You realise you're in, right? Behind the wall, I mean."

"That's the best gift I could ever get."


	9. Chapter 9

**Ahhhhh...Chapter Nine. It's hard to follow that last chapter, but we gotta go somewhere, so here's a baby step or two in a forward-type direction.**

Alex reached down and picked up Olivia's plate and handed it to her. Then she picked up her own and they settled into the couch and finished dinner in silence. Olivia collected the dishes and took them to the sink. When she came back to the sofa, she sat down gently and sidled up next to Alex, who couldn't hide the grin on her face.

"Dinner was good," Olivia said simply.

"The company was better," Alex countered with a slight flirtatious edge.

Olivia shook her head. "You're giving me too much credit."

"I don't think I am. I don't want to be anywhere else right now or with anyone else for the rest of this week."

Finally looking at Alex, Olivia noticed that the look on the other woman's face was full of compassion and empathy. "I'm not always easy to be around. I act like things don't get to me, but the truth is I feel things so deeply sometimes that I can't process how I feel. Between that and the nagging voice in the back of my mind that constantly tells me I'm not good enough, that I should just be alone so I can't hurt anyone and no one can hurt me, I'm not sure why you want to get to know me so badly."

Alex leaned in and put her arm around Olivia's shoulders. "You really don't see it, do you?"

"I guess not." Olivia shook her head.

"Then I'll just have to show you. Until tonight, I've only seen glimpses of what's behind your walls, but I promise you now that I know what I do, I'll keep it close to my heart."

Olivia rested her head on Alex's shoulder. "Thank you."

"So...how about that hot chocolate?"

"Sounds good," Olivia said as she smiled at her friend.

Alex stood up and went to the kitchen to fill the kettle with water. Olivia grabbed the camp stove and together they went out to the porch to heat up the water. While Alex got the stove going, Olivia went back inside and grabbed their jackets, which they quickly put on and zipped up. The temperature had dropped to somewhere below freezing, and they were both still dressed in their pyjamas.

Olivia rubbed her hands together to try and get the blood flowing. "I hope the water boils fast."

Turning the flame up as high as it would go, Alex placed the kettle on the grate and stood up. "This stove's a champ. It won't take it long at all."

"Good. A girl could freeze to death out here!" Olivia shivered exaggeratedly.

Alex stamped her feet to try and get some blood circulating back into them. "You can go back inside. This won't take too much longer."

"It's fine. I'll stay out here with you."

Cocking her head to the side, Alex got an idea. "Then I'll keep you warm while we wait." She enveloped Olivia in a bear hug. Olivia tensed up at first, but then relaxed into Alex's arms. It wasn't long before the kettle began to whistle, and Olivia was suddenly wishing it would have taken longer to boil. Alex released Olivia and bent down to retrieve the kettle. "Ready?" she asked as she motioned for Olivia to go back in the cabin.

Once they were back inside, Alex made the hot chocolate as Olivia reclaimed her end of the sofa. With a mug in each hand and the bottle of Frangelico tucked under her arm, Alex came to stand in front of Olivia. "Here you go," she said as she held one of the mugs out for Olivia to take, then put the bottle of Frangelico on the floor in front of the sofa.

"Thanks," Olivia smiled at Alex as she held the mug tightly with both hands in an effort to thaw her hands out.

Alex sat down and with her free hand carefully tucked the blankets around herself and Olivia. One was tucked in across their laps, while the other was draped around their shoulders as they huddled together to warm up from their trip outside.

"Booze?" Alex offered as she leaned over to pick up the bottle from where she'd placed it.

"Yes, please!" Olivia nodded.

Alex opened the bottle and handed it to Olivia. After pouring a little in her mug, she handed it back to Alex. When Alex had done the same, she put the bottle back on the floor.

Olivia took a sip. "Oh, that's sooooo good."

"I've gotta be careful, though. Too much of this stuff and I'll be looking for a lampshade to wear," Alex said.

"That could be interesting," Olivia commented before taking another drink.

"It's actually more 'train wreck' than 'interesting'," Alex corrected. "Let me tell you a little story about why I no longer drink rum."

"Please do!"

Alex cleared her throat. "Well, it was last winter. It was a Friday night and I was leaving early the next morning for Chicago for the weekend to see a friend from college. Some coworkers convinced me to go to the bar with them for a couple of drinks after work, and I said I would because I never go out and I'd had a hard week. They'd commandeered a booth in the corner and got a pitcher of beer, so I had a pint. When I finished that, I went to the bar and ordered a shot of whiskey. There was a guy there who was flirting shamelessly with me, so I picked up my drink and politely excused myself and went back to my friends. At some point someone ordered a round of hot buttered rums for everyone. I drank mine, then ordered another. And another. And another. I think I had five total...hot buttered rums, that is."

Olivia was listening to Alex with great interest. She was thoroughly enjoying the mental picture she had of the usually graceful and dignified Alex Cabot getting progressively drunker. Taking another sip of her drink, she smirked. "And how did those work out for you?"

Alex rolled her eyes. "Not too bad...until the puking started. I was _wasted_. Completely and utterly crocked. It'd been a long time since I'd drank like that, and those hot buttered rums didn't taste like alcohol and they were so warm and it was so cold outside. We were all SO drunk. There was a jukebox and someone put on Me & Bobby McGee and I was singing along, but I could only remember about every third word. In every picture of me from that night my cheeks are bright red and I'm sticking my tongue out. But at least I wasn't hungover on the plane."

Olivia nearly choked. "Whoa! Hold on...you're telling me there're pictures of an inebriated Alexandra Cabot in existence?"

Blushing profusely, Alex smiled sheepishly. "Yes, there are."

"Where are they? How do I get to see them?" Olivia asked excitedly.

Alex sighed. "I have copies of them on my laptop."

"You _have_ to let me see them." Olivia reached out and gripped Alex's thigh tightly.

"You'll get your opportunity," Alex chuckled.

Olivia sat back and took another sip of her hot chocolate. "I can't wait!"

Rolling her eyes again, Alex just shook her head and grinned.

They stayed quiet for a minute or two, then Olivia broke the silence. "So you're a lesbian."

"Yep."

"I never would have guessed," Olivia shrugged.

Alex took a long sip of her hot chocolate and sighed. "It's not exactly a secret, but it's not something I put out there either. It's been forever since I've even been on a date, let alone in a relationship, so it's pretty much a non-issue these days."

With a snort of laughter, Olivia nodded knowingly. "I know what you mean."

Narrowing her eyes and cocking her head to the side, Alex asked slowly, "Which part? The not having a date part, or..." She couldn't say _or the 'it's not a secret'_ part out loud because her lungs had constricted just from the possibility that Olivia _might_ admit that it was all true.

"All of it. I haven't had a romantic relationship with a man since college. And I broke up with my ex a couple of years ago, and I haven't been much into the dating scene with the crazy hours I usually work."

Alex's mouth hung open as she stared right past Olivia. That was the revelation she'd been waiting for and she didn't even have to use any lawyer techniques to get it. "Wow."

Olivia suddenly felt self-conscious. Alex had listened to her life story without so much as a gasp, but when she learned Olivia was also a lesbian, she went into a catatonic state. "I guess we're learning a lot about each other, huh?" She tried to make a joke to see if Alex would snap out of her trance. When Alex didn't snap out of it, panic started to rise up in Olivia's chest.

"This _would_ happen to me," Alex whispered.

The tiny amount of panic in Olivia multiplied when she heard Alex speak. She had no idea what the other woman meant, and that's what scared her. "Alex?" she asked, her voice tinged with trepidation.

Alex blinked hard and looked Olivia in the eye. "Yes? I'm sorry, Liv. I...uh, got lost in my head for a second there. I guess I wasn't expecting you to say that you're gay too."

"Like you said earlier, it's not exactly part of how I introduce myself. And how stereotypical is a lesbian cop?" Olivia joked, trying to lighten her heavy heart.

Smiling brightly at the detective to put her back at ease, Alex shrugged. "Is there anyone you've got your eye on?" she asked with a teasing wink.

_You. You you you. I've had both eyes on you since I met you._ "Um, yeah," Olivia said shyly.

_Don't look disappointed. Keep smiling._ "Is it anyone I know?" Alex tried to keep her teasing tone.

_IT'S YOU_. "I think so. You've probably seen her around..." Olivia answered, trying to sound ambiguous.

_Oh, great. It's someone I know. If I have to watch them make googly eyes at each other, I'm gonna-_ "Have you talked to her?"

_She makes it sound so easy. Like I could walk up and just ask her out on a date._ Olivia shook her head. "Not about a date or anything like that. I have way too much anxiety when it comes to that subject. We talk about lots of other things though." She drank the last of her hot chocolate and placed the mug on the end table. "And in ten million years when I finally build up my confidence, I'll ask her out," she added quickly. "How 'bout you? Got your sights set on anyone in particular?"

_I'm totally, full tilt boogie in love with a certain female SVU detective._ "Yeeeesssss," Alex drawled.

_Probably some gorgeous defence attorney or an extremely hot ADA in another department. Maybe even a judge!_ "Do I know her?"

_You ARE her._ Alex nodded.

_I don't think I really want to know who it is._ "Who is she?"

"You didn't tell me who yours is so why should I tell you mine?" Alex joked.

"I asked; you didn't. So spill, Cabot!" Olivia tried to sound lighthearted, but she could feel her heart dying a teeny bit inside.

_This is it._ "She's about my height. Maybe an inch or two shorter, but close enough. She's got dark brown hair, which is kind of short, but she's growing it out. And these deep brown eyes that I could stare into for hours..." Olivia was trying to piece together a person with the information she had so far. All she could come up with was a court clerk who worked for Judge Petrovsky. "She dresses stylishly but comfortably. She has to because her job sometimes requires her to get physical. But I've seen her dressed up a few times, and she's absolutely radiant. Not that she's not gorgeous all the time, but..." she trailed off and her eyes sparkled as she obviously pictured Olivia dressed for a night on the town.

Olivia decided it wasn't Petrovsky's clerk based on the description of her job sometimes getting physical. She was stumped. "I don't think I know this person, Alex. I'm racking my brain and I can't think of anyone who looks like that."

"You know her, Olivia. She's exudes confidence and control, but has the biggest heart of anyone I know." Alex pressed her lips together and hoped she didn't have to spell it out. "Think harder."

Closing her eyes in concentration, Olivia ran the details Alex had given her through her mind much the same way she would a description of a suspect. _Dark brown hair...short, but growing it out...brown eyes...dresses comfortably...job sometimes gets physical...cleans up nicely..._ "No way. That's- no. Couldn't be."

Alex's brow furrowed. "Arrive at a conclusion?"

"You're not talking about me, are you?" Olivia said incredulously. If she hadn't been looking right at Alex she would have missed the slight nod of her head and if it weren't for the complete and total silence in the cabin she wouldn't have heard the whispered _yes_. Spurred on by the sudden euphoria that came with learning that the woman that she had a crush on felt the same way, Olivia took Alex's mug out of her hands and put it next to her own on the table. She took the blonde woman's hands in her own and held them tightly out in front of them. "I was talking about you, Alex. I've had my eye on you since I met you."

The ADA's eyes went wide. "What?"

"I like you, Alex. I mean, _like_ like."


	10. Chapter 10

**Two things: A) Yeah, I know this is a short chapter, but when you read it, I think the content makes up for the fact that it's not that long. I banged it out today and thought it deserved its own chapter, which leads me to B) I'm gonna be honest here and just say that I can't stop squeeing each time I read this, and this all came from my head, so I know what's gonna happen! Anyway, I hope you enjoy (because I went shopping after I wrote this and couldn't stop grinning like an idiot because I knew what these two were up to).**

"_Like_ like? Shouldn't you be telling me this in the blanket fort and pulling my pig tails?" Alex teased.

Olivia groaned and let go of the other woman's hands. "Alex, I'm being serious."

"I know. I...just, um...don't know what to say." Alex looked down at the floor.

"I really don't either. I've never had a crush on someone and had it be mutual." Olivia chuckled nervously. Alex reached over and took hold of Olivia's hands, rubbing her thumb across the detective's knuckles to try to reassure her. Sighing at the feel of Alex's soft hands on her own, Olivia nodded. Her heart rate had returned to normal but her mind was still racing as it replayed the conversation they had just had. "What did you mean when you said 'this would happen to me'?"

Shrugging, Alex tried to recall when she had said those words. Then she remembered. "I just meant that the one person I've been silently lusting after turns out to be silently lusting after me too, and I wouldn't have ever known because I was too petrified to say anything."

"Then I guess it's a good thing you asked me to come here with you. It's funny 'cos when I was sitting in my apartment waiting for you to pick me up I was trying to figure out why you'd invited me along. I mean, you said it was because you thought I needed a break, and that sounded plausible, but..." Olivia struggled to come up with the right words. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that for all the interaction we had before you asked me to join you here, we were just work friends. Sure, we touched occasionally and even hugged a couple of times, but I know that doing the type of work we do creates a special bond between the people who do the same thing, and that's all I thought we had, even though I really wanted more. I enjoy having another woman around who understands why I do what I do...even though you didn't know until now the real motivation behind it. I really wanted to get to know you outside of work, but I didn't know how to go about it."

Alex smiled at Olivia, who gave a small smile in return. "Liv, when I said I'd wanted to ask you to come here with me so many times, I meant it. I've always been drawn to you and I really wanted to see how you were when there wasn't some case pulling your attention away from relaxing and having a good time. When I told you that Cragen and I decided you needed a vacation, you looked like you were gonna explode. But when I invited you along with me, your eyes lit up even though you accused me of trying to hold you hostage in the woods." Alex winked as she reminded Olivia of her outburst.

Olivia cringed at the memory. "Um, sorry 'bout that. I was exhausted and-"

Holding up a hand to cut Olivia off, Alex interjected, "No apology necessary. You agreed to come with me and that's what matters. And you've thanked me for bringing you here about a hundred times in the two days we've been here, so don't worry about it."

"If you're OK, then I'm OK."

Alex squeezed Olivia's hand. "_We're_ OK." They sat for a while, hands joined, sides pressed together, each reflecting on the situation. "So...what do we do now?"

"I don't know," Olivia said sadly.

"Well, since this is new territory for both of us, why don't we just play it by ear? No expectations, no preconceived notions, no pressure, just do what feels right. We can take it as fast or as slow as we want," Alex offered in an attempt to soothe the rising apprehension she was sensing from the woman next to her.

As her heart started to pound again, Olivia closed her eyes and tried to believe that what she'd wished for so long was actually happening. There was a twinge of anxiety that kept appearing, but she chalked it up to the rush of emotions that come with embarking on the journey of a new relationship. "I like the sound of that."

Alex turned and pulled Olivia into a tight embrace. "Good," she said softly as she rubbed Olivia's back.

When they broke apart, Olivia reached up and cupped Alex's cheek in her hand. Her gaze kept dropping to Alex's lips, which the blonde woman found adorable due to the simple fact that Olivia was being so obvious. Finally, Olivia went for it. She leaned in and kissed Alex in a decidedly romantic manner. Alex melted into Olivia, who pulled the ADA into her lap and adjusted the blankets to accommodate their new position. The kiss was passionate without being frantic. They were happy enough to just be enjoying the new sensations and learning every detail about the other.

Olivia removed her lips from Alex's and began to kiss her way down Alex's jaw and further down to her neck. The younger woman moaned her appreciation of the feel of those full lips of Olivia's (the ones she'd often dreamt had kissed their way all over her body) trailing down to kiss her collarbone before making their way back up to kiss the spot right behind her ear. Olivia's rational mind had shut down in favour of letting her heart take the reins. The weight of Alex in her lap plus the feel of Alex's smooth skin beneath her lips in addition to the sound of Alex's moans and sighs made Olivia's entire body tingle. As cliche as it was to say, she couldn't ever recall anyone else making her feel like that. If her mind still had control, she would have said that this feeling was due to the fact that both of them had wanted exactly this for so long and the combination of secluded cabin/four feet of snow/no power had forced them to talk and eventually share the feelings that led to the current situation.

Alex's mind wasn't working either. The part of her brain that held her fantasies had taken over and was relieved to finally file the 'Invite Olivia to Montauk, confess feelings, make out on sofa in front of fire, and so on (wink, wink)...' fantasy in the memory portion of her brain. She couldn't believe this was happening, except the warmth of Olivia's lips and the feeling of her breath ghosting over her heated skin kept bringing her back to reality. _Oh, sweet, sweet reality_, she thought. Her hands had found their way down Olivia's strong arms and then slipped between their bodies, where they stayed for a moment as she tried to figure out where to send them next. The onslaught of Olivia's kisses made it so hard to concentrate. Alex's hands were soon on their way further down Olivia's torso and stopped again when they found the hem of her thermal shirt. The brunette threw her head back and Alex seized the opportunity to nuzzle the tender skin where Olivia's neck met her shoulder.

"Oh, my God, Alex," Olivia breathed out. "You feel sooooo good."

Alex forgot her hands were awaiting further instructions down at Olivia's waist. When her brain began relaying impulses again, she snaked her hands up beneath Olivia's shirt and around her sides, finally coming to rest on the small of her back. Her fingers danced in abstract shapes, luxuriating in the feel of the skin she'd only imagined being able to touch. With her hands more than happy to have something to do, her lips sought out Olivia's. Continuing to kiss the detective senseless, she reached a hand up to grab a fistful of Olivia's shirt and lay down on her back while pulling the brunette to lay on top of her. As her hand returned to Olivia's back and resumed its dance, Alex smiled against Olivia's lips.

Lifting her head to look Alex in the eye, Olivia looked slightly confused. "What?"

"Do you have any idea how many dreams I've had where we're doing this?"

Olivia shook her head. "Probably as many as I've had."

"Probably. But I'm not going to wake up alone when it's all said and done."

Placing a kiss on Alex's chin and then looking her in the eye again as a sly smile graced her features, Olivia whispered, "No. You're not."

**Alex and Olivia both came to me and told me that they felt like they needed to make out in this chapter, and I can't say no to them, so...yeah. Houston, we have lip lock!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey. Remember me? I can't put all the blame on work this time. I actually had a rare flare-up of social life when my friend from Canada came down for a visit, and then the day I set aside for finishing and uploading this chapter was apparently the day that the site decided to not let me (or anyone else) log in. So here we are. But enough about me. There're two gorgeous women snogging each other on the sofa that need attending to. :)**

_I can't fall in love with you, Alex._ Olivia's nagging voice in her head had turned up the volume. She was trying to drown it out by making Alex moan, but it would not be ignored._I don't want to ruin the one friendship I cherish above all else._ Her body shuddered at the words her mind was screaming, but she tried to play it off so Alex wouldn't sense that there was a war being waged between her mind and heart. What they were doing felt so good and Olivia knew in her heart it was right, but fear was throwing a party in her mind and it had invited every other negative feeling it knew.

"Olivia?" Alex asked when the detective's body had stilled and her eyes, now open, had seemed to lose focus. "You okay?"

_I think of you as a close friend and I don't want to lose you._ Realising that she'd just zoned out while trying to get her sudden fear under control, she laughed nervously. "Oh, um, yeah. I...just...um..." Olivia couldn't find the words.

Alex reached up and brushed the back of her fingers down Olivia's cheek. "It's okay. I'm not going anywhere. Take your time."

Olivia dropped her head and buried her face in Alex's shoulder. How could they have gone from hot-n-heavy make-out session to Olivia throwing on the brakes because she was letting her anxiety get the best of her? What if Alex meant what she said? What if she really would stick by Olivia no matter what? She'd heard it all before and it always ended in heartbreak. But this whole thing with Alex was different from any other relationship she'd ever had. And could she even call it a relationship yet? Their friendship had long been established, but how much flirting and kissing can go on between friends before it crosses the line to become a relationship? So much was unknown and for whatever reason, Olivia just couldn't bring herself to take a chance.

Reaching up to stroke Olivia's hair, Alex's other arm pulled her in tighter. She could sense that Olivia was thinking hard about something, and Alex just wanted to reassure her that there was someone there who cared about what she was feeling, good or bad. And knowing Olivia would talk in her own time, she was perfectly happy to just hold her and finally be together.

"I'm sorry, Alex," Olivia said, finally looking up and making eye contact. "One minute all I could think about was how I wanted to kiss you for hours and the next I'm zoned out and leaving you and your lips unattended."

"Hey," Alex said quietly, "having you on top of me and holding you close isn't exactly no fun. I don't feel cheated in the slightest just because we stopped kissing. There's plenty of time for making out...and touching...and _other_ activities..." Alex's voice trailed off and her eyes narrowed in a lascivious manner.

Olivia jumped off of Alex and stood facing the fireplace. She brought her hand up and pinched the bridge of her nose as her mind raced for the hundredth time that day.

Alex sat up, but didn't get off the couch. "Liv, please tell me what's wrong. Did I say something? Did I do something? Please talk to me, Liv," she pleaded.

Turning around slowly, Olivia's eyes glinted with unshed tears. "I can't do this, Alex. I want to, but I could never forgive myself if I hurt you."

Taking a deep breath, Alex knew that it would be an uphill battle trying to convince Olivia of her worth, but she was determined to make the detective see herself as deserving of the love being offered to her. She knew it would take a lot of patience and an undetermined amount of time, but she would not give up. "Olivia, we've been through this. We don't have to follow any rules. We can do what we want when we want. If you're not ready to jump into a relationship, then that's okay. You're worth waiting for. But if you're scared that I'm gonna see something in you and be totally disgusted and leave you, you're mistaken. This fear you have is understandable, but you can't let it stand in the way of being happy."

"You make it sound so simple, Alex."

Standing up but not moving toward Olivia, Alex held up her hands in a pleading gesture. "Then explain to me why it's so complicated." She watched as the detective's mouth opened to try to explain, but closed again when she couldn't come up with anything. "See? That's what I thought. I know we can make this work. It's not like we're really starting from the beginning anyway. We've known each other for almost two years. I may not know everything about you, but I really want to learn." She took a tentative step toward Olivia, who continued to stand still with her gaze fixed on Alex.

Olivia closed her eyes, and the tears they held finally overflowed and fell down her reddened cheeks. "I've dated a friend before. When it's over you lose your lover _and_ your friend. I can lose one or the other. Not both." She wrapped her arms around herself.

The proverbial light bulb turned on above Alex's head. "You're referring to the friend who planned that great birthday?" When Olivia nodded, Alex continued. "You don't have to tell me the details, but I'm guessing she broke your heart bad." Olivia took a deep breath and opened her eyes. The look on her face told Alex that she was right. "Well, whoever this person was lost a great thing when they did that. It's gonna be my job to put your heart back together. And you know me well enough to know that when I want to do something, I stop at nothing until it happens." Alex smiled warmly at Olivia and took another step closer to her. The detective's face showed uncertainty, but she didn't back away. "Can I hug you?" Alex asked gently. Olivia nodded again as Alex closed the distance between them and enveloped the other woman in her arms. Olivia clutched at Alex like a lifeline. "Oh, Liv," she whispered and rubbed her back. "It's gonna be okay."

"How can you be so sure?" Olivia asked, her head resting on Alex's shoulder.

"Because we're both resourceful women who don't let things stand in the way of their objectives. It's what makes you such a good detective and me a good prosecutor," Alex said.

Olivia chuckled. "Good point." She removed herself from Alex's embrace and stepped back. "I'm sorry I'm such a mess tonight. I don't usually do the extreme mood swing thing. I don't know what's gotten into me," she ran her hands over her face and smoothed her hair.

"No apologies, Liv. This was a very emotional day for both of us, you especially, and there's no shame in sharing your feelings." Alex reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair from Olivia's eyes. "Once the fire dies tonight it's gonna get really cold in here, so why don't you sleep in the big bed with me. I promise I'll be a perfect gentleman and keep my hands to myself."

Smiling at her friend, Olivia reached out and took Alex's hands. "That sounds good. I, however, make no such promises when it comes to my hands."

A sense of relief rippled through Alex. Olivia's mood had swung back to playful and flirtatious. It was definitely a step in the right direction. She grinned and squeezed Olivia's hands. "Why don't we get ready for bed and we'll wake up early tomorrow and...well, I don't know what we're going to do tomorrow," Alex said with a shrug. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, there was a loud hum that lasted a few seconds. "That would be the power kicking back on. We can do something involving electricity tomorrow if we want."

"I'll make my chili for you. It takes all day to cook, so we'll start it when we get up and I'll make you breakfast."

Alex smiled. "Sounds good." She let go of Olivia's hands and went to the lamp and switched it on. "You take the first turn in the bathroom and I'll blow out the candles and get the bed ready."

"Okay." Olivia went into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She readied her toothbrush and started to brush her teeth when she stopped and took a long look at herself in the mirror. _What does she see in me? And why can't I see it in myself?_ Looking at the toothbrush hanging out of her mouth and the toothpaste foam on her lips, she started to laugh. The absurdity of the combination of soul searching and being in the middle of brushing her teeth just seemed so funny at that moment. The door opened and Alex poked her head in.

"Everything okay in here?"

Olivia grabbed the toothbrush from her mouth and smiled at Alex. "Yeah. Just thought I looked funny in the mirror, that's all."

"Well, I think you're beautiful no matter what," Alex said with a wink before closing the door.

_How does a divine creature like that fall for someone like me?_ Olivia thought. _NO! Stop thinking like that! She likes you, you like her, just go with it. Let yourself be happy and make her happy!_ she chastised herself. Quickly finishing brushing her teeth, she washed her face and went back out to Alex. "It's all you."

Alex, who was sitting on the big bed, stood up and walked toward the bathroom. She gave Olivia a quick kiss on the cheek as she passed her. "I'll be right out."

Olivia was stunned for a second, but quickly snapped out of it. She stood there with what could only be described as a dopey grin on her face. It's very true that she had been openly flirting with Alex pretty much the entire time they'd been in Montauk, but that was before she'd found out that Alex wanted a relationship with her. And if she was being honest with herself, she wanted a relationship with Alex. And if Alex was willing to take things at whatever pace Olivia set, then why was she feeling like she needed to run? Vowing to make sure she suppressed any negative feelings she had where Alex or a relationship with her was concerned, she turned off the lamp, then sat down on the edge of the bed and waited for Alex to join her. She shivered with anticipation and she swore she could still feel the shapes Alex's fingers had traced on her lower back.

Alex had a dopey grin on her face as well. She brushed her teeth and washed her face and smiled the entire time. She'd dreamed of kissing Olivia since they'd met (especially after they'd argued about something case related, because, after all, anger is just another form of passion, and if Olivia was that passionate about cases, then surely that passion spilled over to other areas of her life, right?). The fact that the object of her affection was on the opposite side of the door and waiting in the the bed that they were about to share left Alex giddy. She was fighting the urge to giggle like a schoolgirl and bounce around the room. She put her toothbrush back in the case and composed herself. Switching off the light and opening the door, she stepped out and saw Olivia smiling up at her.

"Hi."

"Hello," Alex replied as she sat down next to Olivia.

"Ready for bed?" Olivia asked as she took Alex's hand.

Alex nodded. "Yep."

Olivia stood up, pulling Alex along with her, and threw back the comforter. Never letting go of Alex's hand she crawled to the far side of the bed, turning around to see Alex kneeling next to her. They lay down and pulled the blankets up to their chins. Olivia was on her back with Alex draped across her side, an arm slung below Olivia's breasts and tucked beneath her body, with a leg resting between Olivia's.

Alex smiled as she hugged Olivia tightly. "This is just like I imagined."

"What else have you imagined us doing?" Olivia said, running her free hand lightly up and down Alex's arm.

"Well, the more tame stuff is us just doing normal, everyday things like reading the paper and having coffee at some little coffeeshop. Or going to a movie and holding hands all the way through it. Or us curled up on the sofa at one of our apartments watching a movie while it pours down rain outside. Or laying in bed and reading the Sunday paper. Basically just doing whatever together."

Olivia turned her head and kissed Alex's forehead. "All that sounds great. We should make a checklist and do all of those things." Alex laughed. "And what about the less tame stuff?" Olivia teased.

"Draw your own conclusions," Alex returned.

Chuckling, Olivia kissed Alex's forehead again. "G'night, Alex."

"G'night, Liv. Sweet dreams."

"I'm pretty sure they're going to be," Olivia said as she closed her eyes and revelled in the feeling of having Alex Cabot wrapped around her body.

**OK, kind of a weak place to end it (especially after such an absence!), but I've got all day tomorrow to get the next chapter started, and at least they're finally in bed together, right?**


	12. Chapter 12

**I just want to thank everyone who reads this story. When I started it, I had no idea it would be so well received and popular. It makes me flail with dorky joy when I even think about someone reading it, let alone enjoying it. Thank you times infinity plus one. And now, chapter twelve.**

When Olivia woke up in the morning, she quickly took note of the change in sleeping positions. At some point in the night she had turned and pressed herself against Alex's back, which was fine, but what alarmed her was the fact that the hand at the end of the arm that was draped across Alex had a handful of Alex's breast. Alex was still asleep and breathing deeply, so Olivia figured that either she hadn't noticed where Olivia's hand was or that she simply didn't care. The beginnings of an anxiety attack began to rip through Olivia, but she took a deep breath and reminded herself that she and Alex had crossed a line when they started that hot kissing session on the sofa, and touching a boob seemed like the natural progression. In fact, if it wasn't for Olivia's sudden panic the night before they probably would have rounded a few more bases, so to speak. Sighing, she gently removed her arm from around Alex and carefully rolled over so they were back to back. Alex, either suddenly missing the hand on her breast or just simply feeling the movement, rolled over and nuzzled her face into Olivia's back and ran her hand down Olivia's side, letting it come to rest on the detective's hip.

"Mmmmmmm." Alex breathed in Olivia's scent. "Good morning, Liv."

Olivia put her hand over Alex's. "Good morning to you. How'd you sleep?" _Keep your cool. If she did notice where your hand was earlier, let her bring it up. Otherwise, just be normal_...

"Amazingly well. I want to spend every night for the rest of my life sleeping next to you."

"That's a little sudden, don't you think? I mean, I haven't even seen you naked yet," Olivia teased.

Alex threw her leg over Olivia's and pressed her tightly to her front. "Anytime you want to, just say the word."

Olivia chuckled. "As tempting as that sounds right now, I promised to make you breakfast and I've got chili to start."

"You're no fun," Alex pouted.

"We've got plenty of time left here and since we're snowed in we're going to have to do _something_ to entertain ourselves," Olivia said winking at Alex as she got out of bed. "Wow, it's cold!"

Stretching out under the covers, Alex laughed. "Come back to bed and I'll keep you warm."

"Stop tempting me, woman," Olivia said as she winked at Alex. "I've got food to make."

"Suit yourself." Alex rolled on to her side and pulled the blanket over her head. A few seconds later she pushed it down and said, "I want an omelet. With cheddar and mushrooms," then pulled the blanket back up over her head.

Building a fire before she set to work in the kitchen, Olivia grinned as she said under her breath, "So bossy."

Again pulling the blanket off her head, Alex shouted, "I heard that!"

Olivia laughed as she got all the ingredients for omelets out of the fridge. When all the preparation was finished, she cooked Alex's omelet first. The smell made its way over to the blonde woman, who was still lounging in bed, and drew her from beneath the covers and toward the source of the delicious aroma. Alex stopped to kiss Olivia's neck before going to start a pot of coffee. When the coffee was finished brewing, Alex poured a mug for herself and one for Olivia. Meanwhile, Olivia had cooked both omelets and plated them up. They made their way over to the table and started to chow down on breakfast.

"There's only one thing missing from this omelet," Alex said between bites.

Olivia looked up from her plate. "What's that?"

"It could use some avocado," Alex smirked.

Rolling her eyes and smirking back, Olivia replied, "Well, just because _I_ think it has the same texture as lipstick doesn't mean _you_ couldn't have got one for your own personal use."

Alex smiled. "I'm kidding. This is fantastic," she said before she took a sip of her coffee.

Bowing her head, Olivia took another bite. "Glad you like it."

They finished their breakfast in silence and took their dishes to the sink. Alex put her arm around Olivia's waist and asked, "So what do we need to get your chili going?"

"All I need you to do for me is get me the biggest pot you have. I can take it from there."

"That's it? I can't do anything else for you?"

"You can go amuse yourself for about twenty minutes and then I'll join you," Olivia offered.

Alex huffed exaggeratedly as she took the pot out of the cabinet and put it on the stove. "I guess I can do that." She kissed Olivia's temple and went to the sofa to read.

Olivia collected all the spices she needed from the cupboard. She put beans and tomatoes in the pot, browned the beef, and started adding the spices. When the beef was ready, she put that in the pot too. Once she was satisfied with everything, she put the lid on and went to join Alex on the sofa. "And now, we wait," she said as she sat down next to Alex, who was curled up in the corner of the sofa and wrapped snugly in a blanket.

"I just have to stir it periodically, and in about six hours, we'll have chili," Olivia stated as she untucked Alex's blanket and rearranged it so it covered her legs as well. She grabbed her book from the table where she'd left it the night before and opened it to where she left off.

"I can't wait."

A couple of hours had passed quickly. Olivia had stirred the chili several times, and Alex had stoked the fire. It was still pretty early in the day, but both Alex and Olivia were nearing the ends of their books. The snow was melting but it was still several feet high, they still couldn't get into town.

"So let's say that we both finish our books today. What other things do you have to do here that don't involve going outside?" Olivia questioned.

Alex put the bookmark in place and put the book in her lap. "I've got a deck of cards, or we could watch a movie on my laptop, or...well, _my_ lips aren't doing anything...and _your_ lips aren't doing anything...so, um, I was thinking..." Alex said in a hopeful tone of voice as she reached over and slowly trailed her fingers down Olivia's arm.

"I think I want to play cards," Olivia declared.

Not expecting that answer at all, Alex blinked a few times as she tried to convince herself that she had misheard. When she noticed Olivia looking at her and waiting for a response, she shrugged and answered, "Uh, OK." She stood up and went to retrieve the cards from the closet, and just decided to go with it. If Olivia wanted to play cards for a while, that was fine. _She's right. We still have plenty of time here and we can't make out ALL day_. Getting the cards and the small folding table and taking them back to Olivia, Alex smiled brightly. "So, what game am I gonna kick your ass at?"

Olivia's eyes flashed and her lips curled into a lopsided grin. "That sounds like a challenge. How about Crazy Eights?"

"Crazy Eights? Really? Not poker or rummy or something a little less kindergarten?"

"I play it with Elliot's kids all the time and I'll have you know I routinely wipe the floor with them," Olivia said, trying to sound defensive.

Alex rolled her eyes and smiled. "They're children, Liv," she pointed out.

"Don't downplay my achievements! A victory is a victory! Now, deal those cards so I can wipe the floor with you, too."

They played for almost an hour, and Olivia did repeatedly beat Alex. By the time they put the cards and the table away, Alex had to admit that she had had a really good time. She really enjoyed spending time with Olivia regardless of the activity. Olivia had gone to stir the chili and Alex sidled up next to her as she did so. "How's the chili doing?" she asked.

Olivia took a small step away from Alex. "It's doing fine."

Alex's brow furrowed as she tried to figure out a reason why Olivia would have moved away from her. Everything seemed fine between them, but having seen that Olivia's moods had a tendency to shift rapidly, she figured she would simply back off and hope that this wouldn't last long. "Great. I'll meet you on the couch."

Still stirring the contents of the pot and not looking up, Olivia said, "Yeah. Sure."

As she walked to the sofa, Alex realised she was feeling a little irritated with Olivia's fluctuating emotions. _Let it go, Alex. This is new and scary for both of us, and it's not worth fighting over. She'll come around_. Alex heard the sound of the lid being placed on the pot and Olivia's footsteps as she walked toward the sofa. Instead of joining Alex on the couch, Olivia sat down heavily in the rocking chair. Narrowing her eyes, Alex didn't know what to think. _Maybe I'm just being overly sensitive about this. That's gotta be it_.

Olivia pulled the afghan from the back of the rocking chair and tucked it around her legs. She knew Alex was watching her, but Olivia couldn't meet her eyes. She stared at the flames in the fireplace and began rocking gently.

"Why aren't you sitting next to me on the sofa?" Alex asked after a few moments of silence.

"Do I always have to sit next to you?" Olivia snapped, still not looking at Alex.

"I was just asking. You don't have to if you don't want to. Just...nevermind. Forget I said anything." Alex took a deep breath as she shook her head.

Finally looking in Alex's direction, Olivia asked, "Is this how it's gonna be, Alex? Now that we're sort of a couple are we gonna be attached at the hip?" Her tone was bitter.

Alex was taken aback because she honestly couldn't figure out what had set Olivia off. "That's not what I'm saying, Liv. You said you'd join me on the sofa, but you didn't and-"

"OH! Is that what this is about? You're mad because I'm not doing what you want me to do?" Olivia tossed the blanket off her lap but made no move to get up.

"What are you talking about? We were having such a good time earlier and now you're yelling at me! I never told you that you had to sit next to me. I asked a simple question and you bit my head off! Are you listening to what we're saying? We're arguing about where we're sitting! How ridiculous is that? Can we just drop this?" Alex was near tears. She had no idea how things had escalated to this point so quickly.

Olivia pulled the blanket back over her lap and turned her gaze back to the fire. "You brought it up," she said bitingly.

"And I'm asking you to forget I said anything," Alex pleaded, her voice cracking.

"You're just like everyone else. Trying to make me dependant on them. I need my space, Alex. You're just going to have to deal with that."

Alex stood up. Tears were streaming down her face and she threw up her hands in a defeated gesture. "If you don't want a relationship with me, Olivia, just say so. I'm a big girl and I'll get over it. But don't string me along with confiding in me, flirting with me, touching me, kissing me, and sleeping curled up next to me and then pushing me away. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get you to trust me with your heart, and I think I've done a pretty good job being patient with you so far. I get that you've been hurt in the past. I've tried to show you that I'm different and want to do whatever you need to feel comfortable with this." She paused and looked at Olivia. The detective's face was frozen in a glare. "And, yeah, your past is tragic, but using it as an excuse for keeping people at arms length is even more tragic." The words were out of Alex's mouth before she could rearrange them to make them sound less harsh.

Olivia's facial expression never changed. She was trying to keep from giving Alex any indication that her words had cut deep. Where had all this come from in the first place? A stupid question about the seating arrangement had turned into a full fledged fight. Olivia knew she was being petty. It was something that she reverted to subconsciously when she felt like people were getting too close. Alex was right. She had gone above and beyond to prove that this was going to work because she was letting Olivia set the pace, even though it wasn't fair to herself. Olivia knew she should apologise to Alex for acting so childish, but her pride was standing in the way. She threw the blanket on the floor, stood up, walked to the bathroom, and slammed the door behind her.

The sound of the door echoed in Alex's head as she fell backward onto the sofa and buried her face in her hands. She couldn't believe she'd thrown Olivia's past back in her face. Her stomach was churning with guilt and she felt like her heart was being crushed. The worst part was she had no idea how she was going to fix this. "What have I done?" she whispered.


	13. Chapter 13

**So that last chapter really divided you all! Half you were, like, "Alex needs to back off!" and the other half were saying that Olivia needs to grow up. Well, I hope this chapter makes you happy whether you support Team Benson or Team Cabot.**

"Are you sure they're gonna go for this? If what you told me's true then they're probably makin' sweet love to each other on that bear skin rug in front of a roaring fire," Cam said to Josie, who was driving her Chevy Blazer with the enormous mud and snow tires carefully up the unplowed driveway.

"They've been cooped up in that tiny cabin for three straight days. We'll just have to pry them apart, make 'em put on some clothes, and drag them out to experience some humanity. Alex talks non-stop about her when we talk on the phone and you should've seen 'em when they came in for breakfast. Flirting like that only leads to one thing: sex. Red hot _sex_. They're good for each other. And Alex must think Olivia's something special because she's never, _ever_, brought someone on her little winter retreat. She's got it bad, Cam."

Cam shrugged and patted Josie's thigh. "I guess I'll see for myself soon enough, won't I?"

###

Alex sat motionless on the sofa with the deafening silence surrounding her. She felt as if she'd been punched in the stomach and her head was spinning. The worst possible thing to say had been said and instantly shattered all the promises she had made to Olivia. She was no different than the others who had hurt Olivia, reminded her how screwed up she was, and tried to 'fix' her. Alex wasn't sure what to do to make Olivia forgive her, or even if Olivia _would_ forgive her. But she knew that she felt like she had to do something, say something, _anything_, to set things right, and let Olivia decide where to take it from there.

Olivia stood in front of the mirror staring at her reflection. She needed some time apart from Alex so she could sort out her own feelings without being influenced by the other woman's reactions. Her mind had cleared and her thoughts kept repeating one word: _why_?

Gathering all the strength she had left, Alex stood up to say her piece to Olivia. Each step she took toward the closed door that separated them made the invisible fist around her heart squeeze a little tighter. She leaned heavily against the door frame, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. "Olivia...I know that what I said was unforgivable. I kept telling you I'm different, that I care enough to wait for you and that I wouldn't pressure you, but I'm just like them. I know that saying I'm sorry isn't enough, nor should it be. I have no idea what I can do to make this up to you. Just know that I would do _anything_ for you. If you want me to take you home, I will. If you don't want me to drive you, I'll make other arrangements." Alex paused, listening intently, but couldn't hear any sounds coming from inside the bathroom. She ran her hand through her hair, then touched the door in a desperate attempt to get even slightly closer to the woman behind it. She splayed her fingers and pressed her palm harder against the wood, and continued. "I don't know what else to say, Liv. I completely understand if you never want to speak to me again. I'm leaving it up to you." Alex turned and walked to the kitchen to stir Olivia's chili. _I've already burned a bridge today, why burn dinner too?_ she thought sadly. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but couldn't. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she didn't cry out loud. As she replaced the lid on the pot, she was lost in thought and failed to hear the sound of a truck making its way up the driveway.

The knock on the front door a moment later startled Alex. She hadn't been expecting anyone, and she was pretty sure that the snow would keep most people off the road. Walking slowly over to the door, she heard Josie's voice from the porch.

"Alex! I know you're in there! Your car's buried out here and I don't see any footprints!"

Breathing a sigh of relief that it was just Josie and wiping the traces of tears from her face, Alex opened the door. "Hey, Josie. I didn't know you were coming by." Behind her, Olivia opened the bathroom door to see what was going on.

"Well, I tried to call, but your phone went straight to voicemail," Josie pointed out as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

"The power went out and I forgot to charge it when it came back on. We've had...um, a...long...day today," Alex said, looking down at the floor.

Josie stood in the middle of the room and looked from Alex to Olivia. "Well, they finally got around to plowing most of the main roads. So we're here to take you to the local dive bar for beer and nachos. Cam's out in the truck keeping it warm so change outta your pyjamas and let's go!" As she opened the door to leave, she turned and added, "And hurry up or we'll miss happy hour!" and closed the door behind her.

###

When Josie climbed back in the driver's seat, Cam flashed a devilish grin and asked, "So were they doing it? And if they were, was it slow and sensual or rough and sweaty?"

Josie shook her head. "Olivia was locked in the bathroom and Alex looked like someone kicked her puppy and cancelled Christmas. I think they had an argument. A big one, too, from the looks of it."

###

Olivia walked to the bunk beds, grabbed some clothes and went right back in the bathroom, closing the door softly this time. Alex sighed and quickly changed into jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. She pulled her boots on and as she reached for her coat, the bathroom door opened. Olivia went to the bed and laced up her boots, never making a sound and never looking anywhere even close to Alex's direction. As Alex put her coat on and zipped it up, she looked at Olivia out of the corner of her eye. Her heart sank as she saw the unreadable expression on the detective's face. She had been hoping for any kind of sign of how Olivia felt one way or the other, but there wasn't one. She lifted her head, opened the door, and went out on the porch to wait for Olivia.

When the detective closed the door behind her, Alex locked it and followed Olivia to the Blazer, which was now turned around and ready to head into town. The huge tires on it would be overkill on just about any other occasion, but they took on the remainder of the four feet of snowfall like it was nothing.

Cam jumped out of the passenger door and pushed the seat forward so Alex and Olivia could get in the backseat. After Alex had gotten in, Cam held her hand out for Olivia to shake. "Cam Gavin. You must be the famous Detective Olivia Benson I've heard so much about. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Olivia shook the offered hand and smiled. Cam had thick copper coloured hair that fell just below her shoulders. Her handshake was firm and her eyes were kind. Olivia liked her instantly. "The pleasure's all mine." She climbed in the backseat, buckled her seatbelt, and scooted as far away as Alex as she could.

The ride to the bar was silent. Josie and Cam held hands in the front seat, while Olivia sat stiffly on her side of the back seat and stared out the window. Alex looked sadly down at her hands in her lap and wished things weren't so quiet.

Josie parked the truck and they all walked together into the bar. Josie and Cam were still holding hands as they led the group, Alex was in the middle, and Olivia brought up the rear. Josie went straight to the bar to order, while Cam walked to a round booth in the corner and slid in, indicating that Alex and Olivia do the same. She frowned when Alex seated herself on the right, while Olivia seated herself to the left. When Josie returned to the table with a pitcher of beer and four glasses, Cam gave a slight shrug of her shoulders as her fiancee just stood there looking at the arrangement.

"I'm gonna run to the restroom. I'll be right back," Olivia said quickly as she left the booth and headed down the hallway toward the bathroom.

"She spent all afternoon locked in the bathroom. You'd think she'd have just gone while she was in there," Alex muttered dejectedly.

Cam poured Alex a beer and slid it in front of her. "What happened between you two? Josie made it sound like you were just waiting to be alone to jump each other and then she comes out and tells me it looked like you had a fight."

Alex crossed her arms on the table and dropped her head to rest on them, took a deep breath and raised her head again. "I said something REALLY horrible to her after spending the last two days trying to convince her I'd never hurt her. She's had some really difficult stuff to deal with in her life and she's scared of letting people in for fear they'll get to know who she really is behind her tough cop persona and think she's weak. She confided in me and I threw it all back in her face because I was angry." She paused to try to swallow the lump in her throat, but it didn't work. She took a shaky breath. "We kissed...finally, really _kissed_, and it was the greatest feeling I've ever felt, to find out she felt the same way and..." She stopped again to find the right words. "We connected like I've never connected with anyone else before. I know it sounds corny, but it's true."

"It doesn't sound corny at all," Josie assured Alex. "It sounds like a fairy tale."

"Well, I made it into a nightmare. She hasn't said a word to me since she locked herself in the bathroom. We were making progress. Last night we slept wrapped around each other and it felt so good to fall asleep in her arms, listening to her heartbeat, and wake up pressed against her back," she finished and shook her head sadly.

As Josie and Alex talked Cam had watched Olivia come down the hallway from the bathroom and stand in front of the jukebox in the corner of the room. She opened her mouth to weigh in on the conversation, but didn't speak immediately as she heard something that changed what she was going to say entirely. "Alex, I'm pretty sure she forgives you."

Alex looked confused. "Cam, how can you possibly know that? She hasn't even _looked_ at me, let alone said anything to me."

A slow grin spread across Cam's freckled face. She turned to her fiancee. "Do you hear the sounds of forgiveness, Josie?"

Josie listened for a few seconds and nodded. "I do, Cam. I definitely do."

Still confused and growing irritated with Cam and Josie's cryptic comments, Alex listened. _I Believe_ by Stevie Wonder was coming from the jukebox. It was a song about two people overcoming despair and forgiving the hurt from the past and believing the love between them would last forever. As Alex's expression changed from confusion to understanding, she stood up and slowly made her way across the dancefloor.

Olivia stood with her back to the seating area, her left thumb hooked in her pocket while her right hand pressed the numbers for her last selection. She hoped the songs she picked out would say the things she couldn't put into words.

As Alex reached the jukebox, she was shaking as she reached out and took Olivia's hand from her pocket and entwined their fingers. A couple of seconds passed before Olivia squeezed Alex's fingers, giving the blonde woman a tangible sign that she wasn't going to run away from her. A few more moments passed before Alex turned to Olivia. "Come on," she whispered as she led Olivia out to the middle of the empty dancefloor. Olivia stood with her gaze transfixed on Alex. Her expression had softened and there was even the barest hint of a smile on her face. Alex released Olivia's hand and wrapped one arm around her waist and reached up with the other to cup the detective's cheek. Olivia put her arms around Alex's waist and held her tightly as they gently swayed to the music.

###

"Looking at them is gonna put me in a diabetic coma," Josie declared taking a sip of her beer.

Cam playfully swatted Josie's arm. "Hey! Go easy on 'em. New love's so exciting and I remember we were pretty nauseating to watch when we first got together," she pointed out.

"You're right, my love," Josie said as she rested her head on Cam's shoulder.

###

Alex leaned forward and kissed Olivia. When their lips parted, they looked at each other for a time, both knowing they needed to say something, but not wanting to ruin the moment.

Olivia broke the silence. "I'm sorry, Alex. You were right."

"What? No, Olivia, you have nothing to be sorry for. I'm the one who should apologise. And I'm not right. I'll never forgive myself for what I said." Alex looked down at the floor.

"Please forgive yourself, Alex. You called me out on something that I need to get over if I'm ever gonna let someone in and have a chance at happiness. I pick fights when I feel like people are getting too close and I couldn't stop myself from acting out. It's childish, I know, but I've been alone for so long that I don't know what it's like to have someone who wants to be with me no matter what." Olivia reached up and turned Alex's head so she could look her in the eye. "I know you're sorry, Alex. And you were right. It _is_ tragic that I keep everyone at a distance because I've been hurt in the past. You shouldn't have to keep proving yourself to me. You've been so patient and accepting of everything I've thrown at you and I really want to be with you, just please don't give up on me." Tears pricked the back of her eyes. "If I run, just give me a little time, but please come find me." Olivia blinked and the unshed tears made their way down her cheeks. "Don't let me go."

Alex began to cry. "Oh, Liv. I will _never_ let you go." She crushed her lips to Olivia's and kissed her until they were both breathless.

"I'm scared that I've built this up so much in my mind that it can't possibly live up to what I've imagined," Olivia said quietly.

"Olivia, just tell me what you need and I'll do my best to make it happen. I want to give you everything you desire. You deserve to be adored." Alex watched as the detective blushed. "If you ever want to talk about something, I'm always here for you. If you don't want to talk about something, I won't push you. I wanna hold you when you cry and watch your eyes light up when you laugh. I wanna make you blush when I tell you how hot you are, and how soft your lips are, and how much I like just being near you." Olivia blushed again. "Just like that," Alex pointed out as she winked at Olivia.

"When I stormed off into the bathroom I just kept asking myself why. Why did I fall so hard for you? Why did you fall for me? Why did I accept your invitation? Why did I open up to you? Why didn't you recoil in horror when I told you my life story? Why did I keep trying to push you away? Why did I-"

Alex kissed Olivia to get her to stop talking. "Shhhhh. Don't analyse the past. We're only going to move forward. A fresh start beginning right now." Olivia nodded. "Now that we're clear on some things, we should probably join Josie and Cam before they drink all the beer and we can finish this back at the cabin."

Olivia took Alex's hand and they walked together back to the booth. Josie and Cam were both grinning from ear to ear.

"So, everything OK?" Josie asked as Alex and Olivia sat down side by side in the booth.

"Better than OK," Olivia said as she looked at Alex, who smiled even wider than she already was.

Cam clapped Alex on the back. "Glad to hear it. The nachos are on their way as well as another pitcher because your cousin drank your pint _and_ hers," she said, looking at Josie with mock-indignation.

"It was getting warm!" Josie explained.

Putting her hand on Josie's arm, Cam rolled her eyes. "I'm driving home, love, so you can drink my share of the next pitcher."

"Deal!"

The nachos arrived and the conversation at the table turned to lighter subjects like Josie and Cam's upcoming wedding, crazy stories from Olivia's job, ridiculous things Alex had heard at work, and everyone was laughing and having a good time. Josie told a few embarrassing stories about Alex, which Olivia thoroughly enjoyed while Alex shot death glares at her cousin. When the beer and nachos had both been finished, Alex paid the bill (Olivia didn't even try to offer to pay because she remembered all too well what happened when she paid for the groceries), and they filed out to the Blazer. On the ride back to the cabin, Josie and Cam once again held hands, but this time so were Alex and Olivia.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello, darlings. Long time, no see, eh? I actually got stuck writing this chapter. There was a hump I just couldn't get over for a while, but luckily, that hump is safely behind me. So onto business. Once again, this is a shorter chapter but with some heavy content, so please don't cry. Things get a little steamy (literally and figuratively) in this one, so enjoy it!**

"Are you sure you don't wanna come in for a bit?" Alex asked Josie as Cam pulled the Blazer up next to the cabin. "We've got whiskey."

Josie shook her head. "Thanks for the tempting offer, but you two should focus on each other."

"Well, at least come in so we can send some of my famous chili home with you," Olivia offered.

Alex looked stricken at the mention of the chili. "I totally forgot! It's not gonna be ruined, is it?"

Olivia placed a hand on Alex's forearm. "It's fine. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten a call and had to leave it for a lot longer than we were gone just now."

"Really?" Alex asked.

"Oh, yeah. No big deal," Olivia reassured her. "It takes a lot to ruin it." Alex relaxed a bit and smiled brightly at Olivia.

After they all got out of the car and went inside, Cam and Josie went to the fireplace as Olivia headed for the pot on the stove. Alex got a container out of the cabinet, which she handed to Olivia and met Josie and Cam by the fire. While the detective filled the container, Cam drifted toward the delicious smell and came to stand next to Olivia as Josie helped Alex throw a few more logs on.

"Thanks for coming out with us tonight. Josie was kind of worried about you and Alex being alone here. She didn't know if you had enough food until everything thawed and she thought that being in close quarters for an extended period of time may have made you both a little nuts," Cam said.

Putting the lid on the container, Olivia turned and smiled at Cam. "She was picturing something like The Shining, wasn't she?" she joked.

Cam smiled back and nodded. "Something like that. My money was on you two doing each other on that bear skin rug." Olivia blushed and looked down at the floor. "Sorry. I picked that up from Josie; the 'say what's on your mind no matter what' thing. I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"It's OK. I actually appreciate when people say what they're thinking," Olivia said, looking from Cam across the room to Alex. "The truth can hurt but sometimes it also sets you free." Alex, apparently sensing Olivia's gaze, made eye contact and smiled sweetly. Olivia grinned and handed Cam the chili. "Well, I hope you enjoy this. It's my special recipe."

"I can't wait. It smells fantastic."

"It's the least I could do for you guys since Josie loaded us up with pastries."

Cam laughed. "When Josie heard Alex was bringing someone up this year, she went into planning overdrive. She couldn't wait to meet the woman who Alex talks about so much and thinks the world of." Olivia smiled as her face suddenly reddened with another blush. "I think I should get Josie home and give you and Alex some space." They walked to where Josie and Alex were standing next to the fire, coming to stand next to their respective partners.

Josie reached out and took Cam's hand. "We should get going. We've gotta get up early and start the baking. I'm glad you guys are OK."

Olivia took Alex's hand and ran her thumb along Alex's wrist. "Me too."

Cam and Josie made their way to the door, followed by Alex and Olivia, who were still holding hands. After hugs were exchanged and goodbyes were said, Cam and Josie drove off, leaving Alex and Olivia alone in the cabin once again.

"How does a nice, hot bath sound?" Alex asked as she squeezed Olivia's hand. "Maybe with bath salts...and bubbles...and candles...and red wine..."

"You had me at hot bath," Olivia whispered to Alex as she leaned in to kiss her. When she pulled back from Alex, she tilted her head to the side. "And I'm assuming we'll be taking that bath together?"

Alex suddenly looked unsure. "If you want. We don't have to."

Olivia put her free hand on Alex's shoulder. "I want to," she said in a tone that removed all doubt from Alex's mind. "Let's get ready, shall we?" she said in a low tone of voice that gave Alex goosebumps.

While Alex got all the candles from the closet, Olivia got the bottle of cabernet and two glasses from the kitchen. Meeting back up in the bathroom, Alex lit the candles while Olivia opened the wine and poured some into each glass. When that was finished, Alex got two towels out and took the bath salts and bubble bath from the cupboard. Olivia knelt on the floor and turned on the tap, adjusting the temperature so it was perfect as Alex sat on the edge of the tub and added a bit of each item to the water.

"Now that everything's set up, there's only one thing left to do," Alex said.

Olivia looked up at Alex. "Get undressed and get in?" she asked.

"Um, I guess that's two things left to do, but yes," Alex answered as she slid her boots off and tossed them across the room.

Standing up and looking down at Alex, Olivia took off her shirt, leaving Alex staring at her as a wild look set in her blue eyes. "Let's see if you're as good at helping me out of my bra as you were at helping me into it."

Alex accepted the challenge. She stood up and with one hand reached behind Olivia and deftly unhooked the closure. "How'd I do?"

Olivia took a step toward Alex. They weren't touching, but the blonde woman could feel the heat emanating from Olivia's body. "Perfect technique," she whispered as she shrugged, letting the bra fall to the floor. Alex's eyes almost left their sockets. Olivia enjoyed the other woman's facial expression for a moment before reaching for the button on Alex's jeans. Realising she could speed up the process of undressing, Alex removed her shirt while Olivia took her jeans down the long legs she stared at for hours while they were pacing around the courtroom. As Alex stepped out of her pants, Olivia shoved them to the side, and let her thumbs graze the soft skin as she made her way back up Alex's lithe frame. Alex's blue eyes had glazed over with lust and her breathing was becoming more and more shallow as her muscles tensed in anticipation.

"You're overdressed," Alex pointed out as she unbuckled Olivia's belt and pulled it from the loops.

"Now who's the detective?" Olivia teased as she bent down to untie her boots. Alex took advantage of Olivia's distraction and unhooked her bra, carefully removing it and tossing it gently aside. When Olivia straightened up, she noticed that there was a lot more of Alex's fair skin on display and looked as if she'd just won the lottery. "Nice rack," she said, biting her lower lip as she kicked her boots and socks off, never taking her eyes off Alex's flushed face.

Alex looked amused as she recalled that particular exchange from their first morning at the cabin. "Better than the moose?"

"Oh, yeah. _No contest_," Olivia said as she exhaled. She unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans and was about to take them off, when Alex put her hands over Olivia's.

"Let me," Alex whispered as she slowly pulled Olivia's jeans down her muscular legs, delighting in the goosebumps that had arisen as she did so. Before standing back up, Alex placed a featherlight kiss on each of Olivia's knees.

Throwing her head back and closing her eyes, Olivia's legs suddenly felt like they were going to give out as she kicked her jeans next to her boots. She needed to touch Alex and she needed to do it _now_. She reached out without opening her eyes and roughly pulled Alex's body tightly to hers. Sparks exploded behind her eyelids as more of their skin made contact than Olivia had ever thought would be possible. She kissed Alex until she realised something. "The water's getting colder the longer we stand here."

"Then let's get in." Alex took off her underwear as Olivia did the same. The detective stepped in the tub first, then held out her hand to help Alex in. Giving each other an appraising look, they each wore a grin of approval. Olivia sat down against the back of the tub, while Alex settled between her legs and leaned back against Olivia's chest. Between the bubbles and the bath salts, the water was slick, so Olivia held Alex securely against her body. The upside to the slickness of the water was that Olivia's fingers met no resistance as they drew abstract shapes along Alex's ribs. What Olivia was doing with her fingers was nothing compared to what her mouth started doing to Alex's neck and shoulders. The tiny nips with her teeth were soothed by light kisses with her tender lips. Alex's nervous system had gone into overload and she was sure that at any moment Olivia's ministrations would cause her body to explode into glitter.

Olivia was thoroughly enjoying the feeling having Alex pressed against her with nothing in between them. The heat of the water combined with the heat of Alex's body was taking Olivia's desire on a slow, steady, but steep incline. The water was relieving her body's tension from the stressful day she had had, but it was being replaced with an entirely different kind of tension. She catalogued each sound Alex made as she explored new areas of the blonde's body. Her favourite so far was the sharp intake of breath followed by a slight moan as she exhaled when Olivia sucked on her ear lobe. But as Olivia's fingers once again traced lines up the side of Alex's torso, skimming the sweet flesh as they reached the side of the blonde's breasts, the detective could both hear and feel the low, animalistic growl that came from Alex's chest, and that was Olivia's new favourite sound.

Alex was pretty sure she had died and gone to heaven. She had always thought that saying was ridiculous, but the evidence supporting that theory was overwhelming. She was experiencing quite possibly the hottest thing anyone had ever done to her (and they hadn't even gotten to sex yet!), and it was Olivia Benson doing it all. There was no way she was alive. This felt too good to be real. However, Alex crashed back down to earth when Olivia's fingertips darted along the underside of her breasts. She flipped over to face Olivia, who had a smug grin on her face. "We need to get to bed _now_ because I'm going to drown if I do the things I wanna do to you right here."

**Oh, yeah, I left off there. I revved up your motors and left you sitting in the driveway! The next chapter's already outlined, so it won't be long until the payoff. I promise.**


	15. Chapter 15

**I'm pretty sure you all hate me after that last stunt in chapter 14. And if you didn't hate me for that, you probably have some animosity over how long it took me to get this chapter up. I understand and for the record, I'm a little miffed at myself. In addition to the punishing work schedule I've been working, it also seems my social life has exploded. Looks like everyone wants to hang out with a fanfic writer! Anyway, on a slightly serious(ish) note, since we all know what the next step is after that incendiary bathing session, I'm not detailing "it". Truth is, I suck at writing smut. It always sounds so clinical and stilted (thanks to my former nursing career). So I made it metaphoric and pretty. Oh, and before I forget: Ladies (and possibly gentleman), _START YOUR ENGINES_!**

As they quickly got out of the bath and dried off in record time, Alex, missing the feel of the other woman's skin against hers, pressed herself against Olivia and kissed her hard as her hands not-so-gently grabbed the detective's toned ass. Olivia was loathe to break the contact, but she knew that something so much hotter than kissing and groping in the bathroom awaited them. She reluctantly pulled her lips from Alex's and took her hand, leading her to the bed.

Olivia reached out and threw back the comforter. She turned back to face Alex, looking at her a moment before bringing their joined hands to her lips and kissing Alex's knuckles. Staring deeply into the blue eyes in front of her, Olivia sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling Alex to stand between her knees. She placed a hand on each of Alex's hips and helped her up until the blonde woman was settled on top of her. She raked her fingernails lightly up Alex's back, lifting her head to meet the blonde woman's lips in another searing kiss.

Alex pulled back for a moment. She couldn't stop looking at Olivia's body. The way her skin cast a faint bronze glow in the flickering firelight made Alex lightheaded. She kissed Olivia's shoulder, then placed kisses along her collarbone, finally coming to kiss the hollow of her throat. Her blonde hair tickled Olivia's chest as she moved, making Olivia writhe underneath her. Alex reached up and cupped the detective's cheek, gently turning her head so they were once again face to face. Looking at the unabashed lust on Olivia's face, Alex moved her free hand down to Olivia's knee and traced a line up her inner thigh, eventually arriving at the juncture between her thighs and pausing to watch the other woman's reaction. Olivia's eyes rolled back in her head and she gasped Alex's name.

Making the mistake of straightening up to admire her handiwork, Alex soon found herself being flipped onto her back with Olivia once again biting her ear lobe and her hands seemingly everywhere at once...well, _almost_ everywhere. Her impatience taking over, Alex took Olivia's hands and placed them on her breasts.

"Easy, tiger. I want to savour every inch of your body before I get down to business," Olivia drawled, adding special emphasis on the last word.

"Liv, I'm gonna explode if you go any slower," Alex groaned.

Leaving her hands where Alex had so unceremoniously positioned them, Olivia began trailing kisses along Alex's shoulder and up her neck. She nuzzled behind her ear before whispering, "Patience is a virtue, love."

"One I don't have any of at the moment," Alex pouted.

Olivia looked at the blue eyes that were gazing hungrily at her lips. "I guess we can work on that later," she said slowly before crushing her lips to Alex's.

That was the last complete sentence spoken for the remainder of the night. Passions ignited, legs and arms tangled in bed sheets, senses were overloaded, hearts pounded, and bodies glistened. Whispered words, the occasional gasp, a few growls, and several pops from the fireplace punctuated the silence. The candles burnt themselves out and the fire died, but neither woman noticed because the desire they were expressing burned brighter than any flame ever could.

###

As the morning light began filtering through the skylight, Alex slowly woke up and smiled as she remembered the previous night and just why she was currently enveloped by a firm, warm body. While each of her senses came back to her, she heard Olivia's measured, even breaths and smelled the lavender scent of the bath salts from their hastily abandoned bath. Looking out the window and seeing the snow continuing to melt, she licked her lips and could still taste Olivia on them. All those things made her smile, but one thing she felt made her laugh. In sleep, Olivia's hand had once again come to hold Alex's breast. She tried to laugh quietly so she wouldn't wake the detective up, but it didn't work.

"What's so funny?" came the sleep heavy voice from behind.

Alex reached up and put her hand over Olivia's. "You sure like sleeping like this, don't you?"

Olivia was suddenly wide awake. "So you, uh, noticed that this isn't the first time I've, um...staked my claim."

"Did you hear any complaints either time?" Alex dovetailed her fingers with Olivia's.

"Well, no, but-"

"But nothing," Alex cut her off. "If that's how you get a good night's sleep, then by all means, you can hang on to 'em all night every night. It's not like I'm not getting anything out of the deal," she teased before rolling over to face Olivia.

Shyly smiling at Alex, Olivia ran the back of her fingers down Alex's cheek. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For caring so much. For not giving up on me. For showing me that some things are worth the risk. For being you."

Alex blushed, but held Olivia's gaze. "No thanks are necessary. If anything, I should be thanking you." The detective opened her mouth to refute the statement, but Alex put her finger to Olivia's lips and shook her head. "Let me finish and you can give me your rebuttal when I'm done." Tracing Olivia's strong jaw, Alex continued. "I know people call me the Ice Princess, and I don't do much to dissuade them from thinking of me like that. I know you didn't like me very much when I first started working with SVU." Olivia tried to speak again, but Alex put her finger on the brunette's full lips. "Just a couple more points to make, and then it's your turn." Olivia gave Alex a sheepish smile and nodded. "Truth is, I kind of didn't like you either. But that didn't last very long. I realised that what I perceived as stubbornness and your mistrust of anyone who you believed could stand in your way of getting justice for victims was really your unwavering dedication to making scumbags pay for what they had done. And I saw just how much of yourself is tied up in what you do. It also helped that I thought you were incredibly attractive," she said with a wink. "I wanted to find out everything I could about you, what made you work such a thankless and horrific job every single day. And I asked around a bit, but no one had much to say. It seems you're a bit of an enigma to most people. But I like a challenge, and I was gonna try to see if I could get even a little peek at the real Olivia Benson. And after a few fleeting glimpses, I decided to take a chance. I wanted to show you that no matter how much or how little you share with me, someone cares enough to respect your privacy and not pry. But you let me in. You wanted me to know who you are, good and bad, and here we are. _Together_." She watched as the detective took in everything she'd just heard. Alex hoped she hadn't said anything upsetting that could potentially ruin the moment.

Olivia's lower lip trembled and eyes were stinging with tears. She didn't know what to say. There weren't words to describe the depth of the feelings she had for the woman laying across from her. A warmth spread from her heart as she processed what Alex had said. She pulled the other woman's face to her and kissed her with an unspoken need to be as close as possible, to show that she understood, to apologise for how she had acted before, to promise that their new relationship was something she would fight for and not run from when it got rough.

Alex got the message loud and clear, rolling Olivia onto her back and shifting to lay atop the detective. Holding herself up to look into Olivia's eyes, she said, "I love you, Olivia Benson." It wasn't exactly how she had planned to profess that particular sentiment, but she decided that the current situation certainly worked and the fact that it just came so easily was a good sign. She watched Olivia's face for a reaction. There was the briefest spark of fear, but then the deep brown eyes Alex loved so much welled up with tears and Olivia smiled.

"I love you, too. I have for a long time." And this time in a gentle, unhurried way, Olivia showed Alex just how much she loved her.

###

When Alex woke up for the second time that day, she reached out in the bed to find Olivia. Discovering she was the only one in the bed, she called out Olivia's name. No answer. Alex sat up and looked around the room. Still no Olivia. She listened to see if there were any sounds coming from the bathroom. Silence. Panic was beginning to seep into her mind, as she ran through possible places for the detective to be. She quickly dressed in her pyjamas and got her boots from the bathroom where she had tossed them the night before. After tugging them on, she went to the coat rack to get her coat so she could take a walk around outside to see if the detective had gone somewhere outside. Seeing that Olivia's parka was missing, she looked out the window and saw Olivia sitting on the bench on the porch staring off into the woodline. Breathing a sigh of relief, Alex zipped up her jacket and joined Olivia.

Hearing the door, Olivia looked at Alex and smiled. "Hey."

"Hey," Alex said as she sat down next to Olivia. "I woke up and you were gone."

Olivia smirked as she gave the ADA a sideways glance. "You just missed my hand on your boob."

Laughing at the unexpected joke, Alex put her hand on Olivia's thigh. "You caught me," she teased. Rubbing her palm along the firm muscle, Alex quietly asked, "Are you OK?"

"I'm great. I was just thinking about stuff."

"Ah. Um, do you want me to go inside," Alex asked, unsure if she was intruding or not.

"Stay," Olivia answered firmly as she took the other woman's hand and intertwined their fingers. Alex nodded and looked out at the yard. The snow was melting and although there was still plenty of it, they would be able to get back to Manhattan on Sunday. "Things are different now," Olivia finally said.

Nodding slowly, Alex agreed. "Yes, they are." She figured Olivia had a train of thought that she was working out, so Alex decided to let Olivia follow it until the end without interruption.

"But different's not bad. I'm really happy we're together, and I really do love you, Alex. I've given my heart to so many people over the years and never told them because I was terrified they'd break it. You're different, Alex. I thought you were going to be another unrequited love, but when you told me you liked me, I...I..." Olivia paused and took a deep breath. Alex put her free hand on their joined hands and waited patiently. "I don't know what's going to happen, but I know that we're in this together."

"That's right. Don't ever think you're alone. Put your 'suck it up and drive on' reflex away and let me help you sometimes. I know how independent you are and I know you hate to admit you need help, but when you're telling yourself that you don't need anyone, that's when you need someone the most. I'm always gonna be there for you, Olivia. We can get through anything."

Olivia put her head on Alex's shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Liv. Now it's cold as hell out here, so let's go inside, eat that chili you made yesterday, and make out like teenagers."

***waves the checkered flag***


	16. Chapter 16

**Look, I can explain. I wrecked my truck in early June and all my free time (what little of it there generally is) has been spent making my Baby Beast a drivable vehicle again. I do not recommend rear ending another vehicle. I bent my core support and destroyed pretty much everything in front of that, and luckily have a parts car in my driveway. And I did the work myself, which makes me feel all butch and stuff. I got dirty! The truck's back on the road and I'm back to writing.**

**On to story business, I did the math and it's only Tuesday in their world. The next few chapters, in addition to being the last few of this story, will kind of speed up time a bit. I already have the ending plotted out, and this chapter in particular is mostly of a filler nature to get things moving again. Throw things at me if you must, but know that I tried not to make it boring or repetitive. You'll have to let me know how I did.**

**And also along the lines of story business, but not pertaining to this story, I'm already getting my research together for my next foray into A/O fic. It's going to be a while before I get it up here because I've got to watch every single Alex Cabot episode of SVU (and Conviction!) in order to get the timelines straight, Alex/Olivia interactions cataloged, and details of their personal lives recorded. All that will hopefully pay off if I can get that story to go the way I've been imagining it for months.**

**OK, I'm done.**

As they returned to the relative warmth of the cabin and hung their jackets back up, Alex built a fire as Olivia microwaved two bowls of chili and brought them to the sofa. When the fire was finally crackling to Alex's satisfaction, she took the bowl Olivia offered her and sat cross legged next to the detective.

"It smells so good!" Alex said after inhaling the steam coming from the bowl.

"It tastes good too. Took me a while to perfect the recipe, but I think I got it."

Alex held up her bowl. "Cheers!"

Olivia rolled her eyes as she chuckled at Alex's silliness. "Cheers." They clinked bowls and each took a bite.

"Oh my word, Olivia! This," Alex exclaimed as she used her spoon to point to the chili in her bowl, "is _amazing_. So good! It's spicy without being overpoweringly hot and the lime and black bean flavours really come through at the end." She added quietly, "I'm so glad it didn't burn yesterday," as she brought another spoonful to her mouth.

Looking down at her bowl and stirring the contents, Olivia nodded slowly. "Me too."

They finished eating in silence and Olivia gathered the dishes to take to the kitchen. Alex stood up and stretched her arms above her head. She saw Olivia getting ready to wash the bowls and went to her side. Taking the sponge from the brunette's soapy hand and putting it on the counter, she put her arm around Olivia's waist and pulled her close. "The dishes can wait. I have a surprise for you."

Olivia put the bowl she had been trying to wash back in the sink and turned to look at Alex. "Really? What could possibly be left to show me?"

"Well, I had initially planned on showing you in the first couple of days, but we got snowed in, which we could have dealt with, but then when the power went out...let's just say this surprise is no fun without electricity."

"OK. Show me this surprise." Olivia dried her hands on a dish towel and walked with Alex to the coat rack. Once jackets and boots were on, Alex took Olivia's hand and led her to the back door, where Alex opened it and closed it behind them. She continued to lead Olivia to the larger of the two buildings in the yard. The smaller one was obviously a tool shed and Olivia remembered Alex mentioning that it was also where the firewood was stored, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out what would be in the bigger one. It was too small to be a garage and, if anything, looked like a very tiny windowless house. She shrugged as she and Alex reached the door.

"Ready?" Alex asked as her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Olivia nodded. "Yes."

Alex unlocked the door and pushed it open. "Ta da!" She looked over at Olivia to gauge her reaction. The detective was grinning. "I had the hot tub installed a few years ago, and I thought it couldn't hurt to enclose it so you could use it all year round. I think the skylights are my favourite part." She pointed to the ceiling, which was more glass than anything, with just enough framing to keep everything together. "That way you can see the stars if it's clear out, or let the natural light in during the day. Oh! And it's really something to see when it rains! The walls are insulated so it stays warm inside when the temperature drops." She looked over at Olivia again, who was still grinning. "How about we let this thing heat up and go get some fresh towels and that bottle of whiskey, then come back here and take a nice long soak?"

"That sounds great," Olivia said as she watched Alex remove the insulated cover and turn on the heat.

When they returned to the hot tub, Alex shut the door and put the towels down on the table next to where Olivia was putting the bottle of whiskey. The grin hadn't left the brunette's face since she had first laid eyes on the hot tub. She watched Alex take of her jacket and boots and then continued to take her pyjamas off until she was standing completely nude in front of Olivia.

"You're a little overdressed, Liv."

"You're right, but I like watching you take all your clothes off," Olivia smirked.

Alex laughed. "Well, return the favour and let's get in!"

Olivia quickly undressed and reached out her hand for Alex to take. "Shall we?"

Wordlessly Alex took hold of Olivia's proffered hand and together they made their way up the steps and lowered themselves into the steaming water. "I'll turn the jets on." She opened a panel on the side of the tub and pushed the button, which caused the water to look as if it were boiling. She then scooted over to the table where the whiskey was and proceeded to pour some for herself and Olivia.

Olivia sighed contentedly and lay her head back on the rim of the tub. "I'm never getting out of this hot tub. EVER."

"I think eventually you'll have to. We don't have any food in here, and there's no bathroom, and if you fall asleep you run the risk of drowning," Alex said as she came to sit beside Olivia.

Lifting her head and taking a glass from Alex, Olivia pondered for a moment. "Those are all very valid points," she said, nodding slowly. "I think if I had one of these in my building I'd be much more relaxed all the time."

"My building has one. You're welcome to come over whenever and use it," Alex said before sipping her whiskey.

The detective narrowed her eyes as she looked at Alex. "Why didn't you ever tell me this before? I could have been hot tubbing my stress away for a while now!" Suddenly she felt uncomfortable about what she'd just said. "That is, if...um, you wanted to invite me over and we were...like, the kind of friends that did stuff like that...uh, _back then_..." Olivia grimaced as she tried to will herself to stop talking but her mouth kept going. She took a big swallow of her whiskey to get it to stop.

"You're cute when you're flustered," Alex grinned at Olivia, which earned her a light shove from the brunette. "Hey! Don't spill my whiskey! I can't be a robust mountain woman without it!" She took another sip and turned to face Olivia. "Seriously though, I imagined inviting you over to my place lots of times. I'd make dinner for us...well, I'd order in from one of my favourite restaurants and then put it on fancy plates so you'd think I cooked it," she winked at the smirking brunette, "and then you'd arrive after having put in a long, stressful day at work. We'd eat, drink a bottle of wine, laugh, and you'd tell me how you haven't been so relaxed in a long time. And then I'd mention we could relax even more if we got into the hot tub."

Olivia was smirking as she drank the last of the whiskey in her glass. "That kind of sounds like the beginning of a porno."

"Oh, it definitely ended up turning into a porno," Alex said as she raised her glass to Olivia and then drained the contents. She took both glasses and put them back on the table. She took Olivia's hand and brought it to her lips and kissed her knuckles.

"Did we do this in your fantasy?" Olivia asked teasingly.

"Mmmhmm," Alex murmured as she kissed her way to Olivia's wrist and up her forearm.

"And then what did we do?"

Alex didn't answer. Her mouth was occupied with kissing its way up Olivia's arm to her shoulder, where she moved over to kiss along her collarbone, then up the soft skin of her neck, causing the detective to tilt her head to the opposite side to give Alex better access. The blonde paused to pay special attention to the sensitive area behind Olivia's ear, then gently bit her ear lobe.

"I think I see where this is going," Olivia gasped as she took Alex's face in her hands and kissed her roughly. The whiskey had given her a slight buzz, and tasting whiskey on Alex's lips was making her head spin. She pulled back for a second to look Alex in the eye. "I love you so much, Alex." Then she took Alex's lips again, and soon they were a tangle of limbs, bodies sliding against each other, hands gliding over warm skin, and eventually they were still as the water bubbled and streamed past their heaving chests and entwined hands.

After a while it was time to get out and head back to the cabin to start making dinner. Alex turned the hot tub off and replaced the cover while Olivia dressed and gathered up everything from the table, then smirked as she watched Alex get dressed. She was sure that there would be no getting used to seeing the ADA's beautiful body, that each time she saw Alex's supple white skin in its entirety her heart would speed up and her face would flush like it did the very first time while memories of touching the silky smoothness of it would flood her mind.

Alex knew Olivia was ogling her. She deliberately dressed a little slower than she normally did to give Olivia plenty of time to memorize the sight. When she had finished, she kissed Olivia's cheek and together they walked back to the cabin.

###

"Yuck! I think these are ruined," Olivia said as she wrinkled her nose from the smell of the steaks, which had turned a dull grey colour. "Looks like we're gonna have whiskey for dinner."

Standing beside Olivia as the detective leaned in the open refrigerator, Alex nodded. "I think you're right. About the meat, not about having whiskey for dinner," she quickly added. "We can just head to the store and pick up new ones. I was looking forward to having steaks tonight."

"Let's get dressed and go. It'd be nice to get out for a little while and go for a drive, even if it is a fairly short one."

Changing into outfits befitting a trip to the grocery store, they got into Alex's Mercedes and headed into town.

###

Back at the cabin Olivia had mixed up a batch of her steak rub in a bowl and painstakingly rubbed both steaks until she was sure that every ounce was dredged in the spices. Alex had wondered how Olivia was going to cook them without a grill, but Olivia explained the quick and easy way to cook them to juicy perfection using the oven and a cast iron skillet. The attorney was impressed with Olivia's ability to make delightfully gourmet meals simply, with a minimum of preparation, and using only basic kitchen appliances and equipment. When the steaks were in the oven and the timer was set, Olivia joined Alex, who was sitting on the floor in front of the sofa playing solitaire. "Who's winning?" she asked as she leaned into Alex's side.

"Not me, that's for sure. All the cards I need are still face down," Alex said as she swept the cards into a messy pile. "How long do we have to wait?"

"About ten minutes."

"That's amazing. I always thought you had to go to a steak house to get a properly cooked steak, or at least have a grill or a barbecue. I had no idea there was a way to use the oven."

Olivia smiled. "Living in an apartment and not having room for a decent grill will make you very creative when it comes to cooking meat."

Alex put an arm around Olivia's waist. "If these steaks are half as good as your chili, I'm never ordering steak in a restaurant again."

"Never say never. You might hate oven steak."

"I highly doubt that. I can't really think of a steak I wouldn't eat. Well, maybe steak tartare. I just don't see the point of that one."

Nuzzling Alex's shoulder, Olivia smiled and said, "Well, in a few minutes you can try steak a la Olivia and let me know what you think."

They leaned back against the sofa and waited until the timer went off. While Olivia took the steaks from the oven, Alex got the table ready. It wasn't long before they were seated next to each other with a steak and a small salad of mixed greens on each of their plates.

Alex draped her napkin across her lap as Olivia did the same. She cut off a piece of the steak in front of her and put it in her mouth. "Olivia, this is phenomenal. I know I keep saying how amazing everything you make is, but I mean it. Nobody's ever made me such incredible meals before. Thanks for sharing this with me."

Smiling shyly, Olivia cut her steak up. "You're welcome. It's nice to have someone to cook for."

Nodding slowly, Alex continued to eat her steak, letting out the occasional appreciative moan as she savoured each bite. Olivia grinned as Alex cleaned her plate. They washed the dishes and changed back into their pyjamas.

Olivia stretched out on the sofa and Alex lay next to her, nestled between the back of the sofa and the detective's right side. As Alex draped an arm across the brunette's midsection, Olivia's hand came to stroke Alex's hair. They stayed like that for some time, enjoying the closeness.

Alex eventually broke the silence. "I like that we can just be silent and it's not uncomfortable."

"Me too."

"I can hear your heartbeat. It's strong and comforting."

Kissing the top of Alex's head, Olivia smiled. "I like listening to you breathe. Especially the little sighing sounds you make in your sleep."

The silence settled back in and more time passed. Olivia started quietly humming _I Believe_ and Alex felt tears prick her eyes. She moved to straddle the detective and leaned down to kiss her, then straightened back up and looked deeply into Olivia's brown eyes.

"I think that's my new favourite song."

"This is gonna sound sappy, but I always wanted to play it for someone and have it be true."

Alex chuckled. "I like that my badass detective has a sappy side."

Olivia gripped Alex's forearms and looked serious. "Don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to uphold." She cracked a smile.

"Your secret's safe with me, Detective Badass," Alex stated before leaning down and kissing Olivia's forehead. Settling back in to her previous position, Alex ran her hand slowly up and down Olivia's side. "So tomorrow's Wednesday. We have four more full days before we have to head back to the city. Is there anything in particular you wanted to do?"

"You," Olivia answered.

"OK, besides me, is there anything else you wanted to do while we're in Montauk?" Alex amended.

Olivia thought for a moment. "Isn't there a lighthouse here that's a popular sight to see?"

"The museum's closed for the season, but we can walk around the grounds and take some pictures. All right, so the lighthouse is on the list. Anything else?"

Shrugging, the detective replied, "I don't know much about the area, so tell me what you'd normally do while you're here."

"I usually bring whatever book I'm in the middle of to finish when I get here, but I always buy a few more for the week at this tiny hole-in-the-wall bookstore in town. It's a converted garage attached to an industrial building and it doesn't even look like a store. They're open all year and most of their business is done over the internet, so sometimes I'm the only live customer for an entire day. The bookshelves run from floor to ceiling and nothing seems like it's in any order, and I just spend hours picking random books off shelves and seeing what looks interesting. I never leave empty handed and then I take my new purchases to Josie's and drink coffee and read for a while."

Olivia smiled as she imagined Alex wearing her glasses and looking through book after book, reaching up on her tiptoes to pull one from a high shelf and flipping through the pages, then replacing it and moving to another section. "I would love to do that with you."

"Book store is now on the list. What else?" Alex questioned.

"If we go to the bookstore, then we can read some more, and I think I'm gonna have to visit that hot tub again. Like, visit it a lot. Maybe once a day until we leave," Olivia hinted with no subtlety.

Alex laughed. "That can be arranged. We'll figure out the details in the morning."

An idea popped into Olivia's mind. "There's one more thing I want to do before we leave."

"Oh, yeah? What's that?"

"I'm not telling you. It's a surprise," Olivia teased.

Sitting up and looking inquisitively at the brunette, Alex's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You're gonna surprise me? Why do I get the feeling I should be a little worried about this?"

Olivia winked at Alex. "Because you know I like mischief."

"You certainly do." A yawn escaped the ADA's slightly parted lips. "Wow. All that relaxing today really made me sleepy. I'm gonna go get ready for bed. Care to join me?"

"That's a lovely idea. I think I'm about ready for dreamland myself." Olivia sat up along with Alex and they slid off the sofa and walked to the bathroom. They emerged a short while later with washed faces and brushed teeth.

Alex pulled the comforter back and climbed on her hands and knees to the far side of the bed, where she lay facing the detective still standing at the edge. Olivia settled in facing Alex and pulled the comforter up around their shoulders. She then reached out for Alex's hand and held it tightly beneath the covers, which made Alex sigh sweetly and burrow her face deeper in the fluffy pillow.

"Goodnight, Liv. I love you."

"Love you too, Alex. I'll see you in the morning."


	17. Chapter 17

**First off, regarding the phantom chapter seventeen... I thought I was gonna be slick and post it from my shiny new iPad at the coffee shop before I had to leave for work, but when I tried it smashed it into one giant paragraph. So I realised I'd have to code it with HTML to get it to straighten out and look right, and that would have been fine, but I didn't have time because I had to go to AggravationLand (a.k.a. work). I deleted it and when I got home tonight I e-mailed it to myself, uploaded it properly from the laptop, and vowed never to use the iPad to post from unless I have the time and inclination to add HTML code to my fic. Sorry for the chain yank-age.  
**

**Here's a little more (hopefully) entertaining filler. Josie and Cam weren't planned in this chapter, but they shoved their way in. They're both very insistent women, and I love them for it and enjoy writing them. Their interactions with Olivia and Alex make me laugh, which is kind of funny since they're products of my imagination and I know what they're going to say. As I was saying, filler. I was going to continue this chapter and make it super long, but I'm setting it free so I can stop obsessing over it. It pretty much fleshed itself out, so in the interest of giving you more chapters, here's chapter seventeen!**

Like seeing Alex without a stitch of clothing, waking up next to the beautiful attorney was something Olivia was positive she would never tire of. The way she easily draped herself across Olivia made the detective smile. That particular morning Olivia had woken up before Alex and lay quietly watching the blonde woman as she slept. She memorized the contours and lines of the face that could make hardened criminals wither on the stand or gain sympathy from a jury; the face that lit up when Olivia walked in a room. Sending up a silent prayer of thanks to a god she wasn't even sure she believed in, Olivia leaned in and kissed Alex's forehead. The blonde sighed softly in her sleep and snuggled closer to the warm body alongside her. When Olivia kissed the blonde's forehead a second time, Alex sighed again. The same thing happened the third and fourth times. However, the fifth time there was no sigh; a grumble came in its place.

"Stop kissing my forehead," Alex mumbled.

Olivia pouted exaggeratedly. "But I like the sound you make when I do it."

"It woke me up!" Alex whined.

"Wow. You are a regular Alex Crabot in the morning," Olivia deadpanned.

Alex couldn't help but laugh. "The Crabot needs coffee."

Carefully getting out of bed, Olivia tucked Alex back in. "I'm gonna get the coffee going and I'll be back in a sec. Don't move." Quickly grinding the beans and pouring the water in the tank, Olivia pushed the start button and jumped back on the bed next to Alex, bouncing a few extra times for good measure. "I think I wanna go to the lighthouse today. I could use a good, long walk to work off some of this extra energy I seem to have."

"I know another way to work off your extra energy," Alex said as she raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"You're incorrigible, you know that," Olivia smirked as she settled down on the duvet next to Alex.

"I think you mean _insatiable_. And aren't you the one who answered 'you' when I asked what you wanted to do for the next four days?"

Olivia pretended to ponder the answer to the question Alex had posed. "Hm. I vaguely remember that. It's true, though. I would like to spend the next four days doing you."

Alex laughed again. "Such sweet talk. Go get me some coffee and we'll see how we feel after we get caffeinated."

"I know one thing that won't change before or after I drink coffee," Olivia said as she got off the bed.

"What's that?"

"I love you," the detective said with a goofy grin before turning to head to the coffee maker. "Even when you're being a Crabot," she called over her shoulder.

"Is that so?" Alex asked as she threw the duvet to the side.

Olivia nodded as she poured two mugs of coffee. "Yep."

Running into the kitchen, Alex started pinching Olivia's side. "I'm pinching you because I'm a Crabot!" she shrieked.

Soon both women were laughing hard while rolling on the floor as they engaged in a pinching match. When they ran out of breath, they collapsed next to each other. Alex was the first to get up, reaching out a hand to help Olivia off the floor. They each picked up a mug and took them to the sofa, where they sat side by side. Alex carefully draped the throw blanket around their shoulders.

"I liked it, you know," Alex said quietly before sipping her hot coffee.

"Liked what?"

"When you were kissing me on the forehead. I woke up after the second time you did it," Alex confessed.

Olivia shoved Alex gently, so as not to spill her coffee. "Why, you little-"

Shrugging, Alex explained. "It made me feel loved. And I remembered you saying you liked that sound I make in my sleep, so I played along. But, really, Liv, five times?"

"I wanted to see how many I could get away with," Olivia replied.

"You're cute."

The brunette took a long drink of her coffee. "No need for flattery. I'm already yours."

Something about what Olivia had just said threw Alex for a loop. "Are you?"

Confusion set in. "What?" Olivia asked.

"Are you mine? What are we to each other? What do we call this?"

Not knowing how to respond, Olivia thought about each of Alex's questions for a moment. She knew that sooner or later this conversation would need to be had, but she would have bet on it coming up closer to the end of their time in Montauk. She gripped her mug tightly with both hands and stared straight ahead as she spoke. "Yes, I'm yours. If you want me to be, that is. I want you to be mine, too, but ultimately that's a decision for you to make. And what are we to each other? To me, you're the one I want to know me the best; the one that I quietly gave my heart to two years ago and believed that someday I would get to tell you that you had it." She turned to face Alex, who looked Olivia straight in the eye. "And we don't have to name what we have. Who cares what it's called? Shouldn't the fact that we have _something_ be the only thing that matters?"

Alex nodded slowly. "You're right. I don't know where that came from. Please don't doubt my feelings for you, Olivia. I'm yours."

"I know, baby. You're just scared." Alex nodded again. "I'm scared too. I think I proved that over and over in the first few days we were here, but this is the happiest I've been in a long time, and my happiness is definitely outweighing my fear." Olivia put her arm around Alex's shoulders and pulled her close. "We'll figure all this stuff out," she reassured the blonde woman. "We're gonna have to because I'm not ready to give up seeing you naked."

Groaning as she pushed away from Olivia, Alex rolled her eyes and smiled. "Leave it to us to have an innuendo laden conversation, followed by a pinching fight on the kitchen floor, then a serious discussion about our relationship, and you end it all by mentioning how much you like seeing me with no clothes on."

Olivia shrugged. "Have you seen your body, Alex? You're hot!"

"Well, I'm getting this hot body in the shower. Your hot body is more than welcome to come along."

"I don't think I'll get a better invitation than that!" Olivia said excitedly as she took Alex's mug and put it in the sink with her own.

###

After their joint shower, Alex and Olivia got dressed and headed out in the Mercedes. Their first stop was Cabot's to pick up a light breakfast and something hot to drink.

As soon as Cam saw them come through the door, she ran over and gave each of them a hug. "Hey, you two! Olivia, thank you so much for that chili. Josie raved about it and we were wondering if we could borrow the recipe."

"Of course! I'll get it to you before we leave."

"Fantastic! So what brings you by?"

"We're heading over to the lighthouse to check it out and take a few pictures, and I insisted we fill up on pastries before we go," Olivia grinned.

"I just got some strawberry scones out of the oven and they're cooling on the rack," Cam offered. "Josie's filling some chocolate cream cheese muffins in the back if you're looking for something a bit more decadent."

Alex's eyes lit up. "I'll take one of each of those. I mean, we're gonna be walking around a lot today, so I can handle those extra calories, right?" She looked at Olivia, who was still smiling.

"If we don't burn all those calories off by walking, I know of another way we can work 'em off..." the detective said with a sly grin as she took Alex's hand.

Cam watched the exchange occurring in front of her and couldn't help but feel that she had helped these two come to their senses. If Josie hadn't insisted that they take them out to the bar, they probably would not be standing in front of her now looking so in love. She knew Alex had feelings for the detective because Alex had told Josie as much, and of course Josie shared with Cam. Though she had just met Olivia, she felt that she had known the detective forever from the way Alex talked about her constantly. Seeing them holding hands and whispering in each other's ears and laughing was a welcome sight after having seen them not able to even look at each other. She knew these two were meant to be together.

Josie came through the door and squealed with delight when she saw Olivia and Alex. After engulfing each of the women in her customary bear hug, she stepped to Cam's side. "So I take it things are going well?"

"Very well," Alex replied, glancing sideways at Olivia, who nodded her agreement.

"Glad to hear it and _see_ it," Josie said as she pointed to their joined hands. "What're you gonna have this morning?"

"Cam was telling us about some strawberry scones and chocolate cream cheese muffins," Olivia said, getting up on a bar stool and pulling Alex down on the one next to her. "Alex wants one of each, and so do I."

"Done and done!" Josie disappeared through the swinging door.

"What are we drinking with those?" Cam asked as she placed silverware and napkins in front of Alex and Olivia.

Alex thought for a second. "I'll have the honeybush tea."

Olivia snickered. "Honeybush? Is that some sort of lesbian tea?"

"Smartass," Alex teased. "I'll have you know it's an herbal tea from Africa. The flavour's a little bit fruity-"

"With a name like honeybush one would expect it to be a little bit fruity!" Olivia joked. Cam tried to stifle her laughter.

Narrowing her eyes at a giggling Olivia, Alex continued. "As I was saying before _someone_ made a juvenile comment, it's a little bit fruity with a touch of natural sweetness."

"So you could say it's the Alex Cabot of teas?" Olivia said as she put her hand on Alex's thigh.

Alex chuckled and put her hand on top of Olivia's. "You could say that, yes."

Olivia straightened up and looked at Cam. "I'll have the Alex Cabot tea, too, please," she proclaimed.

As Cam measured out the loose leaf tea and got the mugs and saucers ready, she called over her shoulder, "Did Alex tell you why we named the cupcake after her?"

"She said something about it being sweet and spicy, just like she is," Olivia answered.

Bringing the teapot and the mugs over to the counter, Cam gave Alex an incredulous look. "Sweet and spicy? You didn't tell her the original description?"

"What original description?" Olivia asked with a hint of amusement.

Alex hung her head and mumbled, "Fruity and hot."

Olivia broke out into a laughing fit. Cam nodded and Alex smiled an embarrassed smile.

Josie emerged from the back room with the tray of pastries and looked at the three women at the bar. "What'd I miss?"

"Alex was just explaining that she's fruity and hot," Olivia said as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

An exasperated Alex unfolded a napkin and draped it across her lap. "OK, now that we've all had a good laugh at my expense, can we please just eat these pastries and get going with our plans for today?"

"Oh, come on, Alex. Nobody's laughing at you. It's a funny story and, besides, it's true. You _are_ fruity and hot." Josie reached out and put a hand on Alex's upper arm.

Olivia swallowed the bite of scone she had taken and looked at Cam. "Story?"

"Well, we invited Alex over to our place one weekend right after we bought this place. We were having her taste our new recipes and perhaps unwisely kept drinking wine. Long story short, three bottles of wine and an unbelievable sugar high later, the descriptions got a little crazy and the fruity and hot Alexandra cupcake was born. Once we sobered up we ultimately decided that sweet and spicy had more of an alliterative ring to it," Cam explained.

"Thank God for that," Alex said as she tore the bottom off her muffin.

"Don't pout, love. I'd be honoured if someone described me as fruity and hot and named a cupcake after me," Olivia whispered to Alex.

Alex's expression softened. "You are definitely fruity and hot. And sweet and spicy. And you're _my_ cupcake."

Cam and Josie let out a loud 'awwwwwwwwww' in unison.

As Alex and Olivia finished their breakfast, the talk turned to Alex and Olivia's plans for the rest of their time in Montauk. Josie and Cam reiterated that the bookstore was a wonderful place to spend an afternoon, and made Olivia and Alex promise to swing back by the bakery to show off their new purchases.

When the dishes were cleared and two to-go cups of honeybush tea were steeping, Alex had Cam box up a few of the scones and muffins for the road. Goodbye hugs were exchanged, and when the door closed behind Alex and Olivia, Josie turned to Cam, cocked an eyebrow, and said, "I've got an idea."


	18. Chapter 18

**Time for another chapter. I really hope you aren't getting sick of this story. These chapters sort of take on a life of their own as I start to write them and sometimes go places I hadn't thought of taking them. The last half of this chapter was written earlier this afternoon while I was hopped up on coffee and brioche, so hopefully it's not all misspelled and missing words and whatnot. The next chapter is the bookstore and more Josie and Cam (which means we get to find out what Josie's idea is...). Thanks for your continued support and such. You make writing this fun.**

Alex parked as close as she could get to the entrance of the park. It wasn't hard to find a spot because people weren't exactly flocking to spend time outdoors in the middle of winter, and especially not just after a freak snowstorm. Olivia took her camera out and checked the batteries as Alex got out of the car. She came around to the passenger side and opened Olivia's door for her.

"Who says chivalry's dead," Olivia smiled at Alex, who winked at the detective as she exited the vehicle. She looked out at the landscape and took it all in. "This is so beautiful, Alex."

"I have to admit I like this place better in the winter when it's not overrun by tourists. And I like the way everything looks when there's snow on the ground," Alex said as she reached for Olivia's hand.

Squeezing the blonde woman's hand and pulling her along behind her as she walked down the path the lighthouse entrance, Olivia nodded. "I'll have to agree with that."

They walked around the grounds hand in hand for a while. Olivia took quite a few pictures; a lot were of the lighthouse with the water in the background, but a few were of Alex both posed and candid, and one was a joke shot that Olivia made Alex take where it looked like she was leaning on the lighthouse. They headed down the path to the rocky outcropping along the shore and stood watching the waves. Just before they left to go back to the cabin to warm up, Olivia set the ten second timer and placed the camera on a rock. She ran behind Alex and threw her arms around her waist, head peeking out over her shoulder. The camera snapped the picture and captured the look of tender devotion in Olivia's eyes, the look of surprise and delight on Alex's face, all with the rolling waves of the Atlantic Ocean in the background.

When they got back to the cabin, Olivia built a fire while Alex started making a Caprese salad for dinner. Since neither task took very long, they were both seated on the sofa within ten minutes, plates balancing on their laps and glasses of water at their feet.

"I had a good day today," Olivia stated. "I know I keep saying this over and over, but I really love this place. I love Josie and Cam, and most of all, I love you."

"Today was really fun. It makes me so happy that you like Cam and Josie. They adore you. As do I," Alex said, taking another bite.

"I don't really have any close female friends, and I don't have any real family so I appreciate the fact that your cousin and her fiancee treat me like they've known me for years."

Alex felt a little sad at Olivia's admission, but deep down she knew that it wasn't meant to garner pity, it was simply a statement of fact. "In a manner of speaking, they have known you for years. I've been talking about you since the day I met you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. At first I talked about how infuriating you were, then as I worked more cases with SVU and saw your level of dedication to justice, I talked about the fact that you could be a hard ass when you needed to be and incredibly compassionate when the situation called for it. Then I started talking about how I'd like to get to know you outside of work, but I didn't think that was possible since you were a pretty insular unit and I was the outsider. And I called Josie squealing with joy the first time you invited me out for a post case drink."

Olivia blushed at the memory. "If I recall correctly Elliot invited you, and you looked at me to see if it was OK."

Alex grinned. "You're right."

"Elliot had to ask you because he knew I couldn't work up the nerve. He knew I liked you and he tried to help me out."

"I'll have to thank him sometime," Alex said before taking another bite of her salad. "Josie and Cam have heard all about what you do. When I call they always ask how you are, if you're still catching the bad guys for me to throw in jail. And they know you're important to me, so you're important to them."

A warmth spread through Olivia's chest. She counted the SVU squad as family, but this feeling she was currently experiencing was from knowing that there was now something more in her life. Not only did she have someone who loved her for who she was, but she had two friends with whom she immediately fit right in, and all of it was bestowed upon her in the span of a few days. "How did I get so lucky?" she asked.

"You deserve it, Liv. You touch a lot of people's lives and try to make a difference in a very ugly world. The universe owes you."

Olivia smirked as she looked up at the ceiling. "Well, in that case, thanks for my gift, universe," she said as she leaned over and kissed Alex.

###

After dinner was eaten and enjoyed and dishes taken to the sink, Alex got the graham crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows from the cupboard and brought them back to the sofa. "I'm gonna show you how to make the perfect s'more. I know you've lived in the city your whole life and that you don't enjoy camping, so this is the perfect opportunity to learn from the s'more master herself in a setting where you're comfortable."

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "S'more master?"

"Yes. _S'more master_. Now get down here in front of the fire before I wrestle you off the couch and drag you onto this bear skin rug," Alex said firmly with a playful edge to her tone.

"I don't know," Olivia drawled as she settled back further into the sofa cushions. "That offer of wrestling sounds pretty good..." she teased. Alex groaned in frustration and narrowed her eyes at the brunette. "OK! Here I come," she slid off the couch and sat cross-legged on the rug.

"Thank you," Alex said sweetly as she settled next to Olivia. "Now the best way to eat a s'more is while the marshmallow is still all warm and gooey, so the trick is to get your graham cracker and chocolate all set up and then immediately transfer the marshmallow once it's reached perfection."

Olivia grinned at Alex as the blonde woman laid out all the accoutrements. "You're as methodical with this as you are with everything else."

Alex smirked. "Just wait until you taste one. You'll be praising my system."

"What're we waiting for, s'more master? Let's get toasting!"

It wasn't long before Olivia had learned Alex's marshmallow making technique and they both eaten more s'mores than they had anticipated. Olivia had to concede that Alex definitely was the master s'more maker. After they had put everything back in the cupboard and washed their sticky hands, they sat curled up next to each other on the couch.

"I think you have some marshmallow on your face," Alex said after a while.

"Really? Where?" Olivia reached up and touched her face to try to find it.

Leaning toward Olivia, Alex whispered, "Here," before she kissed the corner of the detective's mouth. "Here," she whispered again before as she kissed Olivia's nose. "Right here," she drawled as she kissed one of the brunette's eyelids. "And here," she breathed as she kissed the other eyelid and sat back to look at Olivia.

Olivia's eyes were closed, and the satisfied smile on her face made Alex's stomach flutter. Slowly Olivia opened her eyes and looked at Alex with a raised eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure I didn't have marshmallow on my eyelids."

Alex shrugged. "My mistake." She leaned forward and kissed Olivia on the lips before gently leaning her back so they were laying on the sofa and lazily making out.

It wasn't long before the fire died down and Olivia was yawning. "I'm sorry, Alex. There's really no reason why I'm so tired. I guess because the days are so short."

Pulling Olivia up so they were once again sitting side by side, Alex rubbed a hand up and down Olivia's arm. "That and at home Manhattan runs pretty much all day and all night. The time of day's just a formality. Out here you're lucky to find anything open after eight. If you're tired you can go to sleep. I can finish my book and then we can get up early tomorrow and go to the bookstore to buy new ones."

"I like that plan." Olivia stood up and stretched her arms above her head. She leaned forward and gave Alex a quick kiss. "Goodnight."

"G'night, Liv."

Olivia changed into her pyjamas, quickly washed her face and brushed her teeth, then slipped quietly into bed. Alex had pulled the throw blanket from the back of the sofa and curled up into the end of sofa as she finished the last few pages of her book. She closed it and looked over to the bed to see Olivia with her face pressed deeply into the pillow that Alex used, a hint of a smile on her lips. She stared at the woman in the bed and thought of what an extraordinary heart beat in her chest. Olivia was both complex and simple, tough and fragile, goofy and serious. In all her imagining of what she would discover about Olivia as she got to know her, Alex had never expected to see just how carefree the detective could be; the side of her that liked to build blanket forts and wanted silly pictures of herself looking like she was leaning on the lighthouse. And, if Alex was being perfectly honest with herself, she had never expected to find out just how much of a sappy romantic Olivia was. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but to watch Olivia at work would never lead one to believe that she had such a deep tenderness about her; the kind of tenderness that made her kiss Alex's forehead five times as she slept.

"Stop staring at me and come to bed," Olivia mumbled.

"How did you know I was looking at you? I thought you were asleep!"

Opening her eyes and smiling at Alex, Olivia shrugged. "I haven't heard a page turn in a while, and I can feel your eyes on me. And I got used to sleeping with my hand on your boob. I tried to fool myself and put my hand on my own boob, but it wasn't the same. It has to be yours. So get ready for bed and get your nice rack over here!"

Alex laughed. "You're gross."

"But you like it. So hurry up!"

Doing as she was told, Alex got ready for bed in record time and was soon snuggled next to Olivia, whose hand was indeed cupping one of Alex's breasts. It didn't take long for both women to fall asleep.

###

When Olivia woke up the next morning, she was clinging to the edge of the bed with Alex pressed to her backside and holding her tightly around the waist. A full size bed definitely is not the largest of beds for two people, but there is enough room for two bodies to lie independently. This morning, however, it seemed that Alex was determined to get them both on one half of the bed and stay there. Olivia was unsure of how to carefully extricate herself from Alex's grip and not fall on the floor. She decided it would probably be easiest to slowly and gently scoot backward together with Alex, hopefully ending up in the centre of the mattress. After a semi-concerted effort, success was achieved. Carefully rolling over to face Alex, Olivia reached up to push the hair from the younger woman's face.

Without opening her eyes, Alex sighed as she felt Olivia's light touch. "Ready to go book shopping?"

"Seeing as I'm in my jammies and I'm pretty sure my hair's sticking up something fierce right now, I'm gonna say no. But give me 20 minutes and I'll be good to go."

"Mmmmmm. So literal," Alex murmured as she pulled Olivia closer and buried her face in Olivia's neck. She kissed the pulse point and pulled back to look at Olivia's face and nodded. "You're right. Your hair is definitely sticking up."

"I had a feeling it would be. I just shoved our entwined bodies back into the middle of the mattress so my head's been dragged across the surface of the pillows more so than usual. And what was with trying to shove me off the bed anyway?"

Alex looked a little sheepish. "My guess is that you probably rolled out of my arms in your sleep and I sought you out again. I'm kind of a heat seeking missile when I'm sharing a bed with someone."

"Awwww, that's sweet. But you're lucky I didn't fall out of bed. There'll be hell to pay if I do," Olivia tried her best to sound tough.

"Is that so? What're you gonna do, detective? Arrest me?" Alex challenged.

Olivia narrowed her eyes. "Worse than that."

"Oh, really?" Alex asked incredulously.

"Yep," Olivia said simply.

"Will you give me a hint?"

Grinning devilishly, Olivia answered, "I'll just tell you." She waited a moment to build a little anticipation and whispered, "I'll stuff snow down your pants."

Alex giggled. "You're right. I think I'd rather be arrested."


	19. Chapter 19

**Good evening/morning/or maybe even afternoon to you all! I just got done with this chapter (most of it was literally written in the dark with my trusty little booklight clipped to the cushion of my chair so I'd have enough light to see the wireless keyboard in my lap) and I'm giving it all to you. Here we see Josie's idea, which wasn't as clever as you all thought it was going to be, but it's sweet (pun intended!), so I hope you're all cool with it.**

**And I may have come up with an idea for a sequel to this story. I'm already working on (well, I guess I should say I'm doing incredible amounts of research for) another story unrelated to this one, but an idea for a sequel to this just hit me the other night. More on that as it develops...  
**

After a quick breakfast of toast and coffee, Alex and Olivia set out for the bookstore. As Alex pulled around to the front of what was indeed a warehouse at some point in its existence, Olivia stared hard out the window.

"You weren't joking. The only indication that this place is actually a shop was the tiny sandwich board sign on the curb. You'd have to be a local to know this place existed."

Alex put the Mercedes in park and shut the engine off. "I told you. That's part of the charm. You'll get the rest when you see what's inside."

"My curiosity is totally piqued." Olivia got out of the car and continued to take in the building. There was a rolling garage door to the left, and a red metal door with a small square window. It didn't look even remotely inviting, but the only thing that indicated that there were no industrial happenings inside was the large piece of driftwood with Tome Raiders carefully carved into it hanging above the doorframe.

"Let's go inside," Alex said as she put a hand on Olivia's shoulder.

Pushing open the door made the bell attached to it ring. A grey haired man with a neatly trimmed beard appeared from behind a bookshelf in the rear of the store. As soon as he saw who had come in, his face lit up. "Alex! It's been a long time! How've you been?"

"I've been great! How about you?"

"Oh, the same as ever. Not much changes around here." He looked at Olivia and smiled his best charm smile. "And who've you brought with you today?" He held out his hand to shake. "I'm Clive."

Olivia shook his hand and gave her charm smile in return. "Olivia. Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about your shop from Alex. I'm glad to finally get to experience it."

"Well, most of our customers shop here online, so they won't be in today," Clive joked. "Alex here likes to just wander around and see what catches her eye, but if you prefer a more focused approach, just let me know what you're looking for."

"Will do. Thanks, Clive," Olivia said. She watched Clive head back to the corner of the store he had come from, and turned to Alex. "Where do we start?"

Alex shrugged. "Anywhere that looks like it might have something interesting."

They split up, each stopping at random places to look at whatever was on the shelves. Olivia was spellbound. She moved from bookcase to bookcase picking up this and that, looking at pictures and illustrations, reading paragraphs, and studying covers. The smell of old books made her feel nostalgic for the times she when she was young and had gone to the library with her mother and spent hours upon hours reading everything she could, losing herself in worlds where ordinary people did extraordinary things, where nothing was as it seemed, and anything was possible and generally had a happy ending. Not many people knew how well read she was, and when they found out they almost couldn't believe that someone with such a gritty, tough job could be so refined and sophisticated with a vast knowledge of literature. As she made her way around the store with a rapidly growing stack of books in her arms, she felt like somehow her mother was watching her and smiling.

About an hour and a half later, they met up at the register, arms laden with newfound treasures.

Clive totalled their purchases and bagged everything up. "It was great to see you again, Alex. And lovely to have met you, Olivia," he said as he pushed the bags across the counter."

Olivia took both bags and handed Alex's to her. "The pleasure was all mine."

As both women headed for the door, Clive called after them, "Same time next year, Alex!"

Alex looked over her shoulder and said back, "Absolutely, Clive!" Olivia had opened the door and allowed Alex to pass through first. She turned and waved goodbye to Clive and closed the door behind her.

###

The drive to Cabot's was short. Neither woman spoke, each thinking about the books they'd just purchased. Once again parking right in front of the door, Alex and Olivia took their bags inside and made a beeline to the chairs in front of the fireplace.

As they took off their jackets, Josie came out from the back room and leaned on the bar. "Hey, guys! How was the haul?"

Olivia draped her jacket over the back of the chair and headed toward the bar. "Well, I don't know about Alex, but I found some pretty incredible stuff."

"Me too," Alex said as she came to stand beside Olivia.

"Glad to hear it. I love that place. You can't go in with a specific idea in mind. You just have to see what jumps out at you," Josie said as she pulled a covered tray from under the counter and slid it across the bar toward Alex and Olivia.

The mischievous look on Josie's face made Olivia narrow her eyes in a sceptical fashion. "What's on that tray, Josie?"

"Oh, just a little something Cam and I whipped up for you to try. We're gonna make it a regular offering, with your approval, of course."

Olivia looked at Alex, who simply shrugged in response. "Why _my_ approval?" she asked.

Josie's eyes lit up. "I'm glad you asked." She lifted the lid from the tray and revealed four pinkish cupcakes with white frosting. "We'd like your approval on calling this thing right here," she picked up a cupcake and held it out to the stunned looking detective, "the Olivia."

Surprise registered on the detective's face. "The Olivia?" she questioned as she took the proffered pastry.

"That's right," Josie beamed as she handed another to Alex. "It's strawberry with black pepper. A little more avant garde than what we usually do here, but Cam and I think it turned out pretty well. And it's like you in that it's fruity and hot!"

Alex laughed heartily. "This should be interesting." She looked at Olivia and saw the extreme blush colouring the detective's face.

Taking the wrapper off her cupcake, Josie grinned. "You said the other day that you'd be honoured if someone named a cupcake after you and described you as fruity and hot, so Cam and I did just that." She took a bite and wiped the frosting from her lips with the back of her hand.

Olivia looked down at the cupcake in her hand and burst into tears. Before Alex or Josie could say anything, Cam came through the swinging door and stopped suddenly.

"You didn't wait for me, Josie? I thought we were gonna unveil them together!" Cam threw her hands up in frustration. She heard Olivia sniffle a fraction of a second later and quickly went around the bar and stood at Olivia's side, rubbing her back. "Oh, Liv, it's OK. I told Josie this might not be a good idea, but she generally does what she wants regardless. It seems to be a gene carried by the Cabot family," she whispered to Olivia, trying to lighten the mood.

"I _love_ the idea. I'm crying because you're all so nice to me. I've really only known you for a few days and you're naming cupcakes after me and making sure Alex and I worked through our issues and just being so welcoming and accepting. I'm sorry I'm crying right now. I'm just a little overwhelmed with happiness right now," Olivia explained as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I'm not very good at keeping friends, or even making them, for that matter. My job kind of puts people off."

Josie came out from behind the bar and took the cupcake from Olivia's hand. She placed it back on the counter and hugged Olivia. "You underestimate yourself. You're charming, funny, smart, and you can put up with Alex and me and Cam, which should qualify you for sainthood." She pulled back and reached out to pull Alex and Cam closer to Olivia so she could hug all three of them at once. "Anyone who's put off by what you do for a living isn't worth getting to know."

When they broke out of the group hug, Alex, who had stayed unusually silent, turned to face Olivia and wiped the last of the tears from the brunette's face. "That's what I've been telling you all along," she said quietly before kissing her cheek.

"You two go sit down and start looking at your books. Cam and I'll set up a tray with some tea and these cupcakes and we'll bring it over to you."

Olivia nodded and walked slowly back to the chairs by the fireplace. Alex was right by her side, her hand resting on the small of Olivia's back. They each sat down and took their books from their bags. A minute or so later, Cam brought the tray of tea and cupcakes to the table in front of Alex and Olivia.

"So what'd you get?" Cam asked as she watched the women sort their new books.

"I got a few newer novels, a collection of essays and short stories, and a couple of classics," Alex stated.

Cam nodded. "Not bad. What about you, Liv?"

"A book written by an Army sniper who served in the Gulf War, several novels I've been wanting to read, and a huge book about ocean liner ship wrecks."

"Wow. Ship wrecks. I never would have guessed you'd be into something like that," Cam said.

Olivia shrugged. "There's just something so beautifully tragic about these magnificent ships resting for eternity in the silence of the deep. The number of lives lost as a result of some of these sinkings is heartbreaking. I find the history of the vessels and the lives of the passengers fascinating."

Smiling brightly, Cam turned and went in search of Josie. Alex flipped through the book of short stories before setting it on her lap and reaching over to pour the tea into the provided mugs. She placed the first one in front of Olivia and poured the second one for herself.

Picking up the cupcake from the saucer it had been placed on, Olivia removed the wrapper and placed it back on the tray. She took a bite and hummed her approval.

"That good, huh?" Alex teased as she picked up her own cupcake.

"Oh, my woooooord. What a combination! Exotic and familiar at the same time. The sweetness of the buttercream takes the edge off the pepper and the strawberry flavour adds a bit of playfulness to it all. Of course they can call this the Olivia!"

Alex laughed as she watched Olivia plough through her cake and wipe the crumbs from her lips with a napkin. She stuck her finger in the frosting and brought it to her lips. "This frosting is incredible!"

"Take a bite of the cake with it so you can get the full effect!" Olivia chirped.

Doing just that, Alex's lips curled into a smile as she chewed. "Divine! Just like its namesake," she added with a wink. "Aside from the ha-ha-funny 'fruity and hot' description, you said it was exotic and familiar at the same time. That fits you too." Olivia blushed. "I mean, your olive skin tone and dark features could be described as exotic, but I'm thinking more in the sense that you're mysterious, that there're facets of you that're unknown and unlike anything anyone's ever seen before. And yet people who just meet you feel like they've known you forever. Like they can talk to you and you know where they're coming from."

Blushing deeper still, Olivia looked at Alex as she took another bite of her cupcake. "Are you trying to make me cry again?" she teased.

"Just stating facts already in evidence." Alex took another bite from her cupcake, leaving one final piece in her hand. She swallowed and reached for her napkin on the table. "I love you, Olivia."

Picking up her tea and holding it with both hands, Olivia grinned. "I love you too, Alex."

"I was talking to the cupcake," Alex said with mock indignation.

Olivia played along. "Talk to _this_ cupcake!" she said as she pointed to herself.

Alex pointed at Olivia. "I love _you_, cupcake."

"And I love you, peaches."

"Peaches?" Alex asked as she raised an eyebrow. She contemplated for a second or two, and then nodded. "Peaches," she said emphatically. "I like it."


	20. Chapter 20

***insert witty greeting here* I was gonna make this the final chapter and have it be really long and amazing and maybe some of you would weep at the depth of the emotions I've portrayed and after the ominous THE END there would be fireworks and a lot of hi-fives all around, but seeing as I wrote this entire chapter today, my brain is tired of words. This is a temporary condition and in the long run that frees up brain cells to make the next (and final) chapter even better because I wasn't cramming all the details in to this one. I am so tired and my stomach is on fire for some reason, so this isn't proofread very well. Apologies in advance.**

**And for information regarding the possibility of a sequel to this story, there's a note at the bottom of this.**

After finishing off the cupcakes and tea, Alex and Olivia once again said goodbye to Cam and Josie and headed back to the cabin. The rest of their day was filled with a long soak in the hot tub, dinner, reading by the fire, and finally a little fooling around on the bear skin rug. When they eventually crawled into bed to sleep, their skin was still warm from the fire and from the incendiary touches they had been sharing.

The rest of Thursday and all of Friday went fast in the figurative and literal senses. Daylight hours were short because of winter, but both Olivia and Alex knew that their time at the cabin was rapidly coming to a close. They spent as much time as they could being as close as possible to each other to try and wring as much intimacy and closeness as they could out of their remaining vacation.

###

Saturday morning began with Alex noticing a small warm puddle on her chest. It had come from Olivia, whose head was resting on the ADA's shoulder with her mouth slightly agape. Alex gently shook Olivia to wake her up. "Come on, cupcake. Wake up, Liv. You're drooling all over me."

Olivia's brain took a few moments to process the last part of Alex's statement. "Um, sorry," she offered sheepishly as she tried to wipe her saliva off Alex. "I only do it when I'm really exhausted and I'm so relaxed I can't even close my mouth."

"How'd you get so tired? We didn't even go out yesterday!"

"Well, _someone_ wore me out last night," Olivia teased.

Alex laughed. "Hey, we were both pretty actively engaged in those activities and you don't see me slobbering like a Saint Bernard!"

Sitting up and shifting so she was straddling Alex's midsection, Olivia shrugged. "I can always go back to sleeping in the bunk bed," Olivia bluffed.

"Whoa, now let's not be hasty," Alex ran her hand up Olivia's thighs and let them rest on her hips.

Olivia leaned forward and brushed her lips against Alex's. "You snore," she whispered in the blonde's ear before straightening back up.

Alex's blue eyes went wide. "I do not!"

"Yes. You do. But it's quiet and barely more than heavy breathing. Not like a chainsaw convention or anything." Olivia tucked Alex's hair behind her ear. "It's really cute."

The blonde woman sighed. "We make a good team, then. Saint Bernard and Chainsaw."

Olivia wrinkled her nose. "I like Cupcake and Peaches better."

Reaching up and pulling the detective down to lay on top of her, Alex raised an eyebrow. "Me too."

After a brief round of kissing, Olivia's stomach growled, causing Alex to giggle as Olivia looked embarrassed. "I guess it's time for breakfast," the brunette said as she slid off Alex and out of the bed. "What sounds good today?"

Alex thought about their possible choices and quickly decided. "I think one of your famous omelettes would be great."

"What do you want in it?"

"Just surprise me," Alex said as she settled back under the covers.

Olivia leaned over and kissed Alex on the forehead. "Your wish is my command." She went to the kitchen to start making breakfast.

As Alex lay in bed with her eyes closed, she imagined what it would be like to have every morning be one where she woke up next to (if not on top of) Olivia, where they spent their days simply doing all that daily life stuff with the other, and then falling asleep together only to wake up and do it all over again. The ease with which they fell into their new routine was thrilling to her. It was all how she'd imagined it would be. And even their conflict early on in the week couldn't detract from the way she felt about the detective. If anything it had proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that Olivia was a beautiful person with a big heart who, in her own way, tried to protect innocent people from getting hurt. Alex was overjoyed that Olivia allowed her to be the one to take care of heart. The realisation that it was now Saturday morning took the smile from her face. They were to leave Sunday to head back to Manhattan. She sighed heavily and covered her eyes with her hand to keep from crying.

When both omelettes were plated up and two mugs of coffee had been poured, Olivia put them on a tray and brought them back to Alex. "Breakfast in bed for my lady!" she chirped. When Alex uncovered her eyes, Olivia saw they were brimming with unshed tears. "Oh, baby, what's wrong?" she said softly as she placed the tray on the foot of the bed and carefully climbed in next to Alex and took her into her arms.

"We have to go home tomorrow and I don't want to."

Olivia kissed the top of Alex's head and stroked her back lightly with her thumb. I know and neither do I. Someone has to catch the criminals and someone has to prosecute them."

"A week wasn't enough. I like this domesticity we have and back home it'll be you working crazy hours in dangerous situations and me constantly working even when I'm not required to and we'll never see each other unless it's work related," Alex whined.

"Aw, sweetheart, that's what you're worried about?" Olivia asked.

"Why don't you sound worried about it?"

Kissing the top of Alex's head again, Olivia took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I am. I know how easy it is for both of us to get caught up in work and push everything else aside. And sometimes the things that burned white hot go out and we don't even notice because we're so busy. But, Alex, I'm promising you that I won't let that happen to us. Even if you come over to my place and we just fall asleep, I'll still be close to you and that'll be OK. We can get lunch together at work sometimes, and we can grab dinner as often as we can. We'll schedule date nights and take short road trips when our schedules allow. I'm committed to keeping this alive and exciting, Alex. I finally have something aside from an empty apartment to come home to and I can't wait to do all sorts of little things to surprise you and show you how much I love you. I've been told I don't show much affection, but that's because not everyone can see I have my own style of showing I care. We're gonna be just fine together. You'll see."

Alex snuggled closer to Olivia. "You've given this a lot of thought."

Olivia brushed Alex's hair back so it fanned out on the pillow. "I have. I can't imagine having a wonderful week like this and then drifting apart."

"Me neither." Alex pulled back and looked at Olivia's face. "I love you, you amazing woman."

"I love you too. Now I'll get us some new coffee because the ones I poured are cold by now, and do you want me to warm up your omelet while I'm over there?"

Smiling shyly, Alex nodded. "Yes, please."

"Coming right up." Olivia kissed Alex lightly on the lips and took the tray back to the kitchen.

###

After breakfast had been eaten and the dishes washed, Alex and Olivia sat on the sofa and looked at the book about ship wrecks that Olivia had bought at the bookstore. When that was finished, Olivia looked at Alex and smiled sweetly. "You wanna go for a walk? I feel like I should absorb some of this non-city landscape before we head back."

"That sounds great!" Alex stood up and went to get dressed.

Olivia did the same, but she couldn't help the sly grin kept creeping onto her face. She had promised Alex there was one thing she wanted to do before they left Montauk, but she hadn't said what it was. Alex was in for a very big surprise.

They walked out on the porch and looked around at the snowy yard in front of them. Olivia took Alex's hand and they walked down the steps and along the front walk. Neither of them said much as they wandered around the wooded area and breathed in the fresh winter air. As they came back around to the cabin, they stopped at the steps.

"Hang on here a second, I need to run in and get my camera," Olivia said as she turned to Alex.

"Sure," Alex replied, turning and walking slowly over to the first row of trees.

Olivia went inside and watched carefully as Alex kept her back to the door as she stared off into the distance. Closing the door as quietly as she could, she snuck down the steps and crouched behind a bush for cover. She made a loosely packed snowball and sprung into action. She ran up behind Alex and lobbed the snowball at the blonde's back and sprinted off behind the cabin, laughing maniacally as she went.

Alex spun around and caught sight of Olivia as she rounded the driveway and disappeared. She let out a frustrated growl and set out to retaliate against her girlfriend. _Girlfriend?_ she thought. _Yeah. Olivia's my girlfriend._ She grinned and tried to catch up with the detective. Noticing footprints that led behind the tool shed, she stood in front of it, knowing that if she went all the way around it, she would more than likely be ambushed. Alex bent down and shaped a decent sized snowball in case Olivia showed herself. "You fight dirty, cupcake!" she taunted.

"I talk dirty too, peaches!" Olivia shouted back. She had gone behind the shed knowing Alex would probably follow her there, but as soon she heard Alex's voice coming from the front of the structure and no sound of a tall blonde woman advancing, she knew Alex would expect an ambush if she continued around the side. So Olivia carefully and slowly came around the opposite side to find Alex facing away from her. She hit the other woman with another snowball and passed Alex as she ran to her next cover. "I'm settling the score from our previous draw! I've got two hits on you, Alex! Where's you're fighting spirit?"

Alex suddenly had an idea. She ducked and covered her way to the hot tub shed and slipped inside the door. She made four snowballs and put them just out of sight behind the door. All she had to do now was wait until Olivia got curious and came within range.

Olivia fell right into Alex's trap. After not finding any sign of the ADA anywhere, she started to wonder if Alex just went back into the cabin. Deciding to check the perimeter one more time, she slowly walked around the cabin toward the hot tub shed. Alex was holding her breath and heard the crunching of snow getting closer and closer. She had left the door slightly ajar to lure the detective to investigate further.

It worked.

Alex threw her snowballs at Olivia at point blank range; each exploding on impact and hitting Alex as well. The detective was stunned and just stood there for the first two hits, but as her brain caught on, her adrenaline kicked her brain into high gear. She grabbed the front of Alex's jacket and pulled her outside, toppling backward into the snow. Instead of stuffing snow down each other's shirts like the last time, Olivia just lifted her head and gave Alex a fierce kiss.

When they broke apart for air, Olivia looked smug, while Alex only looked confused. "Why aren't you sticking snow down my pants or up my shirt?" she asked.

Bringing her arms up to encircle Alex, Olivia shrugged. "Because you won. I don't think I could top your performance, so I surrender."

Alex narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Is this a trick?"

"Nope. No trick. You outplayed me. Bravo."

Rolling off Olivia and getting to her feet, Alex reached down to help Olivia up. "What was that kiss for?"

"That was your prize," Olivia replied as she dusted snow from her pants and jacket. "And since when do I need an reason to kiss my girlfriend?" The brunette's face fell. "You are- _we_ are- I mean, am I your-" she stammered.

Alex took a step forward and placed a finger on Olivia's lips to quiet her. "You are my girlfriend. _We_ are girlfriends. I am your girlfriend." She removed her finger and moved her hand to cup Olivia's cheek. "I had that little epiphany myself not too long ago."

Olivia's lips curled into a grin. She reached up, placed a hand over Alex's, and moved it to her lips to kiss the palm. "I'm cold. Let's go inside. I wanna make love to my _girlfriend_."

"Well, your girlfriend thinks that's a wonderful idea."

###

The sun was setting at a rapid pace, casting a golden glow through the trees as it filtered into the cabin. Olivia and Alex were still wrapped around one another as they caught their breath.

"What am I cooking you for dinner?" Alex asked as she ran her hand up and down Olivia's arm.

"Who says you're cooking dinner?"

"Seeing as you made breakfast, it's only fair if I make dinner. And since we didn't eat lunch, I'm gonna make us a nice early dinner because I have certainly just worked up an appetite," Alex stated emphatically.

Olivia nodded. "OK." She let Alex get up and put her clothes back on and watched the blonde woman as she swung her hips from side to side as she walked to the refrigerator. The brunette threw her head back into the pillow and replayed the events of the week in her mind. If anyone had told her prior to this trip that Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot had a crush on her, she would have laughed in their face. But after six days with Alex, Olivia had seen first hand the depth of the feelings the younger woman had for her. She wanted more than anything for this relationship to last and she was going to do everything she could to make sure Alex knew how much she was valued. Olivia had told herself she'd never fall in love again, but then Alex came along and changed all that. Olivia felt complete after so many years of being fragmented.

Alex was humming softly as she gathered ingredients for mashed potatoes, pork chops, and green beans. This was their last dinner at the cabin and she wanted everything perfect. Seeing movement out of the corner of her eye, she looked to see Olivia, now pyjama clad and with a serious case of bed head, walking toward her. "If you've come to help, I'm not gonna allow it."

"I just came to watch you cook. You were too far away to see clearly," Olivia said as she hopped up and sat on the counter.

"You were, like, thirty feet away," Alex teased.

"Thirty feet is a long way, Alex. And besides, I can help you season things properly."

Rolling her eyes as she stepped over to stand between Olivia's parted knees, Alex whispered, "They say too many cooks spoil the broth," before leaning in and gently brushing her lips against Olivia's.

Olivia raised an eyebrow and whispered back, "So it's a good thing you're not cooking broth," and kissed Alex's nose.

**SEQUEL BUSINESS: OK, so after watching Wet Hot American Summer for the first time (Christopher Meloni in the most non-Stabler role EVER!), I kind of got an idea...Alex, Olivia, Cam, and Josie as camp counselors at a summer camp for under privileged girls. It sounds like it could be a lot of fun. If you lovely folks have input on that idea, I'd love to hear it!**


	21. Chapter 21

**This is it. _The final chapter_. Thanks to all who alerted, favourited, reviewed, and simply read this story. I had a blast writing it, and I can't wait to get another fic going. People talk about a "runner's high"; I get a writer's high. I think I might churn out some one-shots for both SVU (A/O, natch) and Rizzoli & Isles (the OTP is the name of the show!), before getting back into a multi-chapter fic, but we'll see what the future holds. Thanks again for the support, and may you have A/O dreams tonight!**

Dinner was a very subdued affair. It was still early in the evening, and the final item on the day's agenda was packing everything up and getting ready to leave; a task neither woman was looking forward to. Olivia washed the dishes while Alex dried them and put them all back in their proper places. They cleared out the refrigerator and took the trash out to the bin. Cam and Josie were going to come by Sunday night and take the bedding and towels to be washed and make sure the place was closed up until the next use.

The packing of the bags was carried out silently, which matched the sombre mood that settled in. Soon there were few personal effects laying around, with the exception of the things they would need that night and in the morning.

After the business had been attended to, Alex and Olivia sat curled up on the sofa enjoying their last night in Montauk.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" Alex asked.

"How good this feels," Olivia answered, giving Alex a squeeze for emphasis.

"I was having the same thought."

The silence returned for a while, but as Olivia thought of going home and how things would be between herself and Alex when they returned to work and their city lives, she felt the need to say something. "This week you really showed me I'm not the damaged goods I thought I was. You could easily have your pick of people to be with, and you chose me. The way you look at me makes my heart race...in a good way, of course." She smiled and looked at turned Alex's head to face her. "I can't wait to actually take you out on dates and go for long walks around the city and do boring couple things."

Alex blushed. "I would always choose you, Liv. You deserve someone to treat you like the beautiful, smart, compassionate woman you are. I'm glad you let me be the one to do it."

Olivia sighed. "I still don't want to go back, but I know we can make this work. I love you so much, Alex, and I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

"Well, hopefully you never have to find out," Alex said before gently kissing Olivia. "What're your plans for Christmas?"

"I'm actually off this year, and I figured I'd probably just make something for dinner and watch some movies. Elliot invited me over, but I kind of need a little distance from work things, so I told him I had other plans."

Suddenly Alex wasn't so sure she should offer to include Olivia in her Christmas day plans. "Would coming along with me to my mother's house count as being too close to things from work?" she asked with a twinge of nervousness.

"Of course not! I would love to come with you. I just meant that I spend more time with Elliot than anyone else in my life and sometimes I feel like I can't miss him if we're never apart, you know? Besides, I spent Thanksgiving with them, so it's not like I'm always blowing them off," Olivia reassured the now slightly tense woman in her arms.

Alex relaxed and snuggled closer to Olivia. "I was worried you wouldn't want to come. Cam and Josie are gonna be there, and my mother, and a couple of her sisters, and possibly some other cousins. We have tons of food and just take it easy all day. My family's gonna love you. Josie and Cam think you're amazing and consider you family, so the rest of them will no doubt feel the same way."

"I don't really know what it's like to have a family. Stablers aside, of course. Thanks for offering to make me part of yours. But I hope _you_ don't actually consider me family, because if you do, those things we do to each other are illegal in most states," Olivia joked, and Alex burst into laughter.

"I certainly don't do any of those things with people I'm related to."

Olivia's face broke into a sly grin. "Well, that's a relief." She kissed Alex in a way that left no room for interpretation; she wanted a nude blonde woman writhing with pleasure underneath her.

###

Not long after they'd left each other limp, panting, and glistening with a sheen of sweat, they decided to call it a night and got ready for bed. Alex spooned Olivia, holding her tightly in her arms with her leg resting atop the detective's. Olivia fell asleep trying to remember when she had ever felt so adored and couldn't think of a single instance. Alex breathed in Olivia's scent and closed her eyes, savouring the warmth and softness of the woman in her arms. She fell asleep promising herself she would never pass up an opportunity to show Olivia just how cherished she was.

Waking up still entwined with each other was a great way to start their morning, but when the realisation that it was their last morning together at the cabin set in, the smiles faded.

Once the last of the bags were taken to the car, Alex made a quick breakfast of toast and scrambled eggs, while Olivia made the coffee. As Olivia moved around the kitchenette, she took long looks at everything, trying to commit as much as she could to memory. The simplicity of the cabin and the outpouring of emotions that had been held in for too long combined with the forced seclusion of a freak snowstorm gave her the proverbial 'warm fuzzy' feeling. Things had started out friendly with a bit of flirting, then there were confessions and discovery, admissions of love, followed by Olivia's fear rearing its ugly head, then came understanding, forgiveness, and pure desire. As she processed the things going though her mind, she felt Alex's arm snake around her waist and pull her close.

"What's so interesting on the counter that you needed to stare at it for five minutes?" Alex teased before leaning in to place a light kiss on Olivia's cheek.

"I was just thinking about us again."

Alex kissed Olivia's neck and smiled. She took the brunette's hand and led her to the table, where two plates and two mugs of coffee waited. Neither of the women said anything during breakfast. Alex watched Olivia, who still had a faraway look in her eye, and marveled at how stunningly beautiful she was even as she was doing something as mundane as eating eggs and toast.

When Olivia broke out of her reverie, she looked at Alex, who was smiling sweetly at her. A grin spread across Olivia's face, and after a moment, they looked away and finished eating.

###

The dishes were washed and dried. The fire was had burnt out. The bags were in the car. The only evidence that Alex and Olivia had been there at all were the rumpled bed linens. They stood side by side and took one last look at the cabin.

Olivia sighed. "I guess it's time to go."

Alex nodded slowly. "Yep."

Olivia took Alex's jacket from the rack and helped her put it on. As the attorney zipped up and put her hat on, Olivia put her parka on and then took Alex's hand. "I have one request before we go."

"Oh, yeah? What's that?"

"I want a picture of us here," Olivia said as she pulled her camera from her pocket.

Smiling brightly, Alex said, "That's a wonderful idea."

The detective quickly set the timer and placed the camera on the porch railing. She was back beside Alex after two big steps and as Alex flashed her charming grin toward the camera, Olivia stood next to her, giving the blonde a sideways look with her eyes full of total adoration. The shutter clicked, and Olivia returned the camera to her pocket. Silently they locked the front door and got into the car.

###

The snow and gravel crunched beneath the tires as Alex slowly navigated the driveway. Looking both ways before turning, she pulled out onto the two lane road that would take them back toward Manhattan.

Olivia put some music on and reached for Alex's hand. The sky was dark and full of clouds which made it feel much later than the early afternoon. As Alex drove, she stole glances at Olivia, who for the most part, stared out the window.

A light snow had started to fall, which meant the temperature was dropping, so Alex reluctantly removed her hand from Olivia's. If the car suddenly began to skid, she'd need both hands to get the Mercedes back under control. And as much as Olivia didn't want to admit it, her hand had gone numb shortly after they left the cabin.

"Do you have to pee or do you need to stretch your legs at all?" Alex asked, saying the first words since they'd left Montauk.

"No, I'm OK. But if you'd like to stop, go for it."

"I think I could use a quick walk to get the blood flowing to my lower half," Alex stated as she pulled off at the next exit. She parked in front of a quaint country restaurant and turned the engine off. "This place has a great bakery. Not as good as Josie's, but great nonetheless. I usually get a piece of pie on my way back."

Olivia smiled. "I could eat pie."

They seated themselves in a corner booth and ordered a piece of blackberry lime pie from the waitress. It arrived minutes later warm with a generous scoop of ice cream melting down the sides of the slice. It didn't take long for them to finish eating, and after a trip to the restroom and a look at the pictures of the restaurant in days gone by hanging up on the wall, they were back in the car and just under an hour from home.

###

Alex pulled up in front of Olivia's building just as the sun was beginning to set. "We're here," she said sadly.

"We certainly are." Olivia was looking at her hands as they fidgeted in her lap. "Vacation's over."

Reaching over to turn the brunette's face to look at her, Alex nodded. "Yeah, vacation's over, but _we_," she pointed to herself and then to Olivia, "are just beginning. You're stuck with me, Liv. Come over to my place after work tomorrow and we'll have dinner and maybe watch a movie and bitch about how nobody did any work while we were gone and now we have to catch up." She leaned in and kissed Olivia, wrapping a hand around the back of the detective's head.

"Deal," Olivia breathed as Alex sat back in the driver's seat. "I guess I should get my bags and head up."

Alex unbuckled her seat belt. "I'll help you."

Olivia put a hand on Alex's shoulder. "No. Please don't. If you come upstairs I won't let you leave. I'll see you tomorrow night for sure, and maybe I'll even see you at work, OK?" Olivia leaned over and gave Alex a passionate kiss. "I love you, Alex."

"I love you too, Liv. With all my heart."

Popping the trunk as Olivia got out of the car, Alex fought back tears. She heard the trunk lid slam shut and watched as Olivia stood on the first step, turned back and blew a kiss. Alex gave a small wave and smiled as she drove away from the curb and headed to her apartment.

###

Olivia threw the door open and then kicked it shut behind her. She dropped her bags just inside and slumped on the sofa. It wasn't long before she had an idea. She went to her desk and took out the phone book. Flipping through to the section she needed, an ad caught her eye. It was early evening on a Sunday, but one of the greatest things about New York City was that no matter what service you were looking for, at least one somewhere was open at just about any time one could want. She picked up her phone and dialled the number listed.

###

Coming in to work on Monday morning was difficult enough after just a weekend off. Going back to work after having an entire week off, especially a week where the majority of the time was spent in the arms of a beautiful brunette detective, was making Alex angry. Rationally she knew that as much as she would love to spend all day every day making love to Olivia at the cabin, there was no way that either of them could leave their jobs. Putting on her confident ADA face, Alex strode purposefully to her office, unlocking the door and opening it with a dramatic flair. Atop her desk sat a vase with a dozen red roses arranged inside it. _It's not even eight in the morning. When the hell did these get delivered?_ she thought as she stepped forward and picked up the card nestled in the flowers. Tears fell from her eyes as she read the neatly typed message.

_Alex, I believe when I fall in love with you it will be forever. Love, Liv_


End file.
